Application security, Compliance Management, Network Security

Facebook to release 3K Russia-linked ads to Congressional intel committees

Facebook will share more than 3,000 Russia-linked political ads placed on Facebook by the Internet Research Agency during and after the 2016 presidential campaign with intelligence committees in both the Senate and the House that are probing Russian meddling in the election.

“I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity," company CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a Facebook live broadcast, where he outlined nine steps that the social media site will take to “protect election integrity” and keep miscreants from using the companies tools to undermine democracy. "It is a new challenge for internet communities to deal with nation states attempting to subvert elections. But if that's what we must do, we are committed to rising to the occasion."

After issuing repeated denials, Facebook said in early September that an internal investigation found a Russian "troll farm" bought ads from the social media giant that and apparently planted them, some in targeted markets, "to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum — touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights," company CSO Alex Stamos wrote in a blog post at the time. 

Among the nine steps Zuckerberg outlined were the promise that the company would continue to work with the government as it investigates Russian interference, would continue its own internal probe and would “make political advertising more transparent.”

Zuckerberg's announcement came on the heels of Twitter saying it would appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday. 

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