Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee released more than 3,000 Russian-linked Facebook ads posted on the social media site during the 2016 presidential election.Some of the ads focused on particular presidential candidates, including Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders, and encouraged users from to support and rally for particular candidates.
One Facebook ad from the group “United Muslims of America” that ran on March 17, 2016, declared that Muslim Americans “overwhelmingly support” Sanders’ bid for the White House in response to Trump’s campaign.
Facebook has removed the ads from its platforms and says it is working to combat similar activity on Facebook and Instagram.
They have instituted new policies requiring advertisers to disclose more information before posting political ads - and recently extended that policy to issue ads. The company says its also improved its ability to find and disable fake accounts on Facebook and is planning to add 10,000 new staffers to work on security and safety issues.
Facebook has also endorsed a legislative proposal to require additional disclosures with online political ads.
"As our CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg told Congress last month we need to take a broader view of our responsibilities as a company. That means not just building products that help people connect — but also ensuring that they are used for good and not abused. We still have a long way to go. And will keep you updated on our progress," the company said in a statement Thursday.
In February special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian nationals and three Russian groups – including the Internet Research Agency - for alleged election interference.
ABC's Trish Turner and Matt Mosk contributed to this report.
Kaynak:Abcnews