Facebook guidelines ‘allow abuse targeted at public figures’

The guidelines say public figures can be targeted in ways that the company bans for those classed as private individuals (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Facebook’s bullying and harassment policy allows public figures to be targeted online in ways that are otherwise banned on the site, the Guardian has reported.

Internal moderator guidelines reportedly leaked to the newspaper says public figures are considered to be permissible targets of certain types of abuse, including  “calls for [their] death”.