Will Facebook run ads calling Donald Trump a “money launderer?” This is an interesting question to consider. If an individual or group proposed to run television or newspaper ads describing Trump as a money launderer, the outlet would almost certainly refuse to take it. In spite of the strong probability that the charge is true, these outlets would be afraid of a major lawsuit from Trump. Facebook has no such concerns, and that is a big problem.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a big point of saying that Facebook will not screen political ads for truthfulness. This means that, in principle, anyone could say pretty much anything about anyone in Facebook ads. Zuckerberg can’t shield people from liability for their own actions, but Facebook does not have to worry about being sued for spreading libelous claims in the same way that a television station or newspaper does.