Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Release Trove of More Than 3,500 Russian-Backed Facebook Ads

House Intelligence Committee Democrats publish 3,519 ads
Posts targeted specific groups to inflame civil discord

Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier and Anna Edgerton report on Facebook ads released by Congress.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Anna Edgerton and Sarah Frier

May 10, 2018 at 2:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

A trove of thousands of Russian-backed Facebook ads, being made public for the first time, shows that Russia’s main goal was provoking discontent in the U.S., leading to and continuing beyond Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

The ads, which are one of the clearest demonstrations of Russia’s financial investment in disrupting American politics, have been much discussed by Congress, Facebook and Special Counsel Robert Mueller behind closed doors.