Facebook, YouTube block whistleblower's alleged identity

• Twitter said it would permit references to the whistleblower on its app, including in posts shared by Trump supporters that include the alleged name and photos.
• The whistleblower's lawyers sent the White House a "cease and desist" letter this week over Trump's calls for the whistleblower's identity to be made public.

The big picture: Facebook's current political ad policy allows politicians to repeat false claims or misstate an opponent's record or their own. Facebook has already begin removing the whistleblower's name from posts "for a few days," AP reports, and will revisit its decision if the name surfaces in public debate or is circulated in the mainstream media.

Between the lines: Social media platforms are largely left to their own devices when it comes to creating rules on speech and content — allowing for gaps and inconsistencies as they build guidelines where federal and state parameters are lacking.

Go deeper: Facebook, Google weigh changing political ad policies under pressure