King wrote on Twitter: “Not comfortable with the flood of false information that’s allowed in its political advertising, nor am I confident in its ability to protect its users’ privacy. Follow me (and Molly, aka The Thing of Evil) [his pet corgi] on Twitter, if you like.”

The author’s official Facebook account, which had 5.6 million followers, has been deleted since the announcement. King has been increasingly using social media as a platform for his progressive political views, including frequent criticism of US President Donald Trump’s behaviour.

King’s concerns about Facebook’s refusal to fact check political adverts – as well as its microtargeting tools for advertisers – are shared by lawmakers, academics and campaign groups. Facebook has introduced some transparency tools, such as a publicly available ad library, since the 2016 US presidential election, which saw a Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign seeking to discredit Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. However, the social network is continuing to face criticism over its refusal to act against lies in political adverts, which it has defended as a free speech issue.

“I don’t think most people want to live in a world where you can only post things that tech companies judge to be 100 per cent true,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in October. Facebook director of product management Rob Leathern has also publicly defended the policy, writing that: “People should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all […] what they say should be scrutinised and debated in public.”

In October 2019, Twitter announced that it would ban all political advertising. Weeks later, Google announced plans to limited targeting of political adverts, including a ban on microtargeting.

Stephen King is among a growing group of prominent figures who have quit Facebook on account of the company’s behaviour. In January, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill deleted his Facebook account, writing on Twitter that Zuckerberg “values profit more than truthfulness”. Actor Will Ferrell deleted his Facebook, citing the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as did WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, and actor Jim Carrey, who cited Russian interference in US elections. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, entertainer Cher, and comedian Rosie O’Donnell have also deleted their Facebook accounts in recent years.

Tesla CEO and frequent Twitter user Elon Musk deleted his Facebook account in March 2018, stating that it was not politically motivated, although Facebook “gives [him] the willies”.

King wrote on Twitter: “Not comfortable with the flood of false information that’s allowed in its political advertising, nor am I confident in its ability to protect its users’ privacy. Follow me (and Molly, aka The Thing of Evil) [his pet corgi] on Twitter, if you like.”

The author’s official Facebook account, which had 5.6 million followers, has been deleted since the announcement. King has been increasingly using social media as a platform for his progressive political views, including frequent criticism of US President Donald Trump’s behaviour.

King’s concerns about Facebook’s refusal to fact check political adverts – as well as its microtargeting tools for advertisers – are shared by lawmakers, academics and campaign groups. Facebook has introduced some transparency tools, such as a publicly available ad library, since the 2016 US presidential election, which saw a Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign seeking to discredit Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. However, the social network is continuing to face criticism over its refusal to act against lies in political adverts, which it has defended as a free speech issue.

“I don’t think most people want to live in a world where you can only post things that tech companies judge to be 100 per cent true,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in October. Facebook director of product management Rob Leathern has also publicly defended the policy, writing that: “People should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all […] what they say should be scrutinised and debated in public.”

In October 2019, Twitter announced that it would ban all political advertising. Weeks later, Google announced plans to limited targeting of political adverts, including a ban on microtargeting.

Stephen King is among a growing group of prominent figures who have quit Facebook on account of the company’s behaviour. In January, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill deleted his Facebook account, writing on Twitter that Zuckerberg “values profit more than truthfulness”. Actor Will Ferrell deleted his Facebook, citing the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as did WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, and actor Jim Carrey, who cited Russian interference in US elections. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, entertainer Cher, and comedian Rosie O’Donnell have also deleted their Facebook accounts in recent years.

Tesla CEO and frequent Twitter user Elon Musk deleted his Facebook account in March 2018, stating that it was not politically motivated, although Facebook “gives [him] the willies”.