Facebook’s chief security officer "to leave in row over handling of Russian disinformation campaign"

The Chief Security Officer of Facebook plans to leave the tech company amid disagreements over how the company handles misinformation.

Alex Stamos’ impending departure was reported by the New York Times. This would add to a tumultuous year for Facebook as it grapples with revelations that Russian-linked actors sought to influence the 2016 presidential election with paid advertising and divisive posts.

According to the Times, Mr Stamos was said to be planning to leave in part because of discord over how Facebook should respond to Russian activity. However, in a tweet, Stamos said he remains "fully engaged" with his work at Facebook.

He tweeted: "It's true that my role did change. I'm currently spending more time exploring emerging security risks and working on election security."

In a series of tweets over the weekend, Mr Stamos pledged his commitment to "stopping authoritarians who use the internet as a weapon" while pushing back against criticism of how Facebook handled Russian incursions.

Meanwhile, a Facebook spokesperson did not directly respond to a question about Mr Stamos' future plans. The spokesperson said Stamos "continues to be the Chief Security Officer."