Facebook Says Russia-Linked Accounts Bought $150,000 in Ads During 2016 Election
Social media giant deletes 470 suspicious accounts it believes were intended to stir up controversy during contentious presidential election
Itay Hod | September 6, 2017 @ 4:37 PM
Last Updated: September 7, 2017 @ 10:23 AM
Facebook admitted Wednesday that it sold political ads to a Russian company, known for pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda, during the 2016 presidential election.
The ads, aimed at American voters, ran between June 2015 and May 2017, with distinct “divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum,” the company said in a statement. Many of the ads concerned hot-button social and political issues, including LGBT, race, immigration and gun rights, and were linked to about 470 fake accounts and pages.
“Our analysis suggests these accounts and pages were affiliated with one another and likely operated out of Russia,” Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos said.
A Facebook official told TheWrap the accounts were traced to a Russian troll farm called the Internet Research Agency, known for pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The Russian-linked firm bought $100,000 worth of digital ads. Another $50,000 went to about 2,200 accounts with U.S. IP addresses but with the language set to Russian.
The ads are part of an attack Facebook calls “information operations,” which the company considers more nefarious than “fake news.” Facebook said it has since deleted the offending accounts and says it is working to prevent new attacks in the future.
The announcement by Facebook could spark further speculation about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential race and the Trump campaign’s possible collusion with the Kremlin.
Earlier this year Time reported that U.S. intelligence officials have found that Moscow’s agents bought ads on Facebook to target specific populations and had evidence that Russia was using algorithmic techniques to target the social media accounts of particular reporters. A Facebook official told Time the company had “no evidence of that occurring.”
As TheWrap reported in November, Trump’s campaign may have used targeted Facebook ads and innocent-seeming quizzes in the weeks before the presidential election to identify Hillary Clinton voters and discourage them from showing up at the polls.
The project, headed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was a carefully orchestrated campaign apparatus that included a San Antonio marketing entrepreneur and social media whizz who built web pages for the Trump family’s business, and Cambridge Analytica, a data firm which had previously worked on the Brexit campaign and is backed by Robert Mercer, the billionaire benefactor behind Breitbart and Trump’s biggest donor.
That venture is now under investigation. In July, McClatchy reported that investigators were looking into whether the campaign’s digital operation, run by Jared Kushner, “guided Russian cyber operatives to specific jurisdictions in key states where support for Clinton was weak.”
37 Hollywood Stars for Donald Trump in 2020 (Photos)
With time running out for the President to gain Joe Biden in the polls, here are 34 of Trump's celebrity fans rooting for the President to win a second term.
"I think Trump, no matter what anybody thinks of him, is doing a good job at trying to get these states — and all of the American people — what they need," Dennis Quaid told the Daily Beast in April 2020.
Comedian Roseanne Barr tweeted a picture of herself wearing a "Trump 2020" baseball cap with the caption, "2020 vision."
Former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Kristy Swanson in March tweeted, "An honor to meet you Mr. President."
Former NFL great Hershel Walker spoke at the RNC in August and tweeted, "TRUMP PENCE 2020"
"Thank you for being the best President ever," tweeted Diamond and Silk.
Mariano Rivera, the Former Yankee pitcher who was awarded the Medal of Freedom from the President in 2019 said, "He's doing the best for the United States."
"Phenomenal President. Quite possibly the USA," tweeted UFC fighter Conor McGregor back in January. "Most certainly one of them anyway, as he sits atop the shoulders of many amazing giants that came before him."
"We're on the very front end of this right now, and I feel comfortable and confident that because of strong leadership," said Elisabeth Hasselbeck on "The View" in March supporting the President's coronavirus response.
Former "Entertainment Tonight" anchor Mary Hart hosted the President's controversial July 4th celebration at Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota back in July.
"He is literally going to go down in history as one of our greatest Presidents," said "Pawn Stars" Rick Harrison at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.
NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie sported a "Trump 2020" on his car at NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, back in July.
UFC fighter Colby Covington recently supported the President on his Instagram saying, "Had a tremendous time yesterday with @erictrump & @carlos_e_gavidia at the MAGA Boat Parade in Miami!"
“All I gotta say is Trump 2020, bitch. Fuck I look like paying an extra 33 in taxes for Biden," rapper Lil Pump said on his Instagram story in October 2020.
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Golf legend Jack Nicklaus in a statement on his Twitter "strongly recommend(s) you consider Donald J. Trump for another four years. I certainly have and have already cast my vote for him!"
Lil Wayne shocked fans on Oct. 29 when he tweeted a photo of himself with President Trump. He captioned the pic by saying that "besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership."
NFL Legend Brett Favre tweeted, "In this election, we have freedom of choice, which all should respect. For me & these principles, my Vote is for @RealDonaldTrump."
With the election underway, here are the stars who will be voting for President Donald Trump’s second term in 2020
With time running out for the President to gain Joe Biden in the polls, here are 34 of Trump's celebrity fans rooting for the President to win a second term.