Facebook denies hiring PR firm to spread fake info targeting critics

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Thursday denied allegations that his company hired a Republican-linked political consultancy firm to spread misinformation targeting Facebook's critics.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Zuckerberg said he did not know who hired the consulting firm Definers Public Affairs, which was alleged to post fake news to quell criticisms of Facebook over the past year. The allegation was reported by The New York Times Wednesday.

The Times' report said Definers was circulating a document which suggested a famous anti-Facebook group, Freedom From Facebook, obtained funds from billionaire George Soros.

Zuckerberg disapproved of the report, saying that he had "tremendous respect for George Soros."

The Facebook CEO said he has ordered his company to terminate its contract with Definers.

"As soon as I learned about this, I talked to our team and we're no longer working with this firm," he said.

"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," Facebook said in a statement Thursday.

It admitted that Definers encouraged members of the press to look into the funding of "Freedom From Facebook," but the intention was to demonstrate that it was not simply a spontaneous grassroots campaign but supported by a "well-known critic of our company."

"To suggest that this was an anti-Semitic attack is reprehensible and untrue," Facebook said.