[ljw1001]

What about the cases outside the US where politically-motivated fake stories have led to innocent people being murdered by mobs? That must seem like "a bad thing" to the victims.

I hear what you're saying, but Facebook (and good-forbid, Twitter) are profit-making enterprises, governed by all sorts of rules. Free speech has never meant that you can do or say whatever you want, wherever you want. It means you can speak or write your thoughts without going to jail. That's all it has ever meant.

EDIT: To be even more clear,

-you can't hold-forth in a synagogue about how evil Jews are, and wouldn't expect to.

-You can't do it in your office, either, and expect to keep your job.

-You can't use the free speech argument to get responsible news organizations to publish your demonstrably false beliefs.

If Facebook is really such an important cultural resource that free speech matters there, they should ensure they're actually doing good on-balance in important matters.