UK fact-checking charity Full Fact has revealed Facebook told it to remove labels on an edited video of now-Labour leader Keir Starmer that was shared during the 2019 general election period.

Full Fact, which was paid £312,507 for its work on Facebook’s third-party fact-checking programme between July 2019 and November 2020, said in its second report on their collaboration that it was “surprised” by the platform’s decision.

The charity, led by chief executive Will Moy, said there was ambiguity about how to apply Facebook’s policy that “posts and ads from politicians are generally not subjected to fact-checking” during the 2019 general election that was not resolved until September ahead of the US presidential race.