Facebook cuts ties with political consulting firm Definers

They smoked, but did not inhale.

Facebook has decided to stop working with the consulting firm Definers, the company wrote in a statement published Thursday. It also denied that Facebook ever contracted Definers to do opposition research-style work on its behalf. The action comes in the wake of a sweeping New York Times article published Wednesday that included reports that Definers sought to bolster Facebook's image by encouraging the publication of negative content about its competitors and critics.

"Lastly we wanted to address the issue of Definers, who we ended our contract with last night," Facebook wrote. "The New York Times is wrong to suggest that we ever asked Definers to pay for or write articles on Facebook’s behalf – or to spread misinformation." Read more...