Facebook will be turning over thousands of Russian-linked advertisements which appeared on the social media site during the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday. The social media giant has faced intense scrutiny for its role in the so-called “fake news” epidemic which plagued the presidential election and will be granting congressional committees investing Russian influence access to more than 3,000 of its ads.
Zuckerberg released the announcement on his official Facebook page, where he espoused support for the ongoing investigation and traditional democratic values.
“I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity. Facebook's mission is all about giving people a voice and bringing people closer together,” part of Zuckerberg’s post read.
Change of stance
The move is a drastic reversal from Zuckerberg and Facebook’s previous stance, made in November when he insisted that the idea that Facebook could have influenced the election was a “crazy idea,” according to Forbes.
Facebook’s move signals at least somewhat of a desire to be more transparent, as the company pledged to publicize more information about who paid for the advertisements users see when browsing.
“…we will also make it so you can visit an advertiser’s page and see the ads they’re currently running to any audience on Facebook,” part of Zuckerberg’s statement read.
The social media behemoth’s data shows just how widespread Russian-linked advertisements were; Facebook announced that some 470 Russian-linked accounts and pages were used to proliferate the advertisements, which were so impactful they were even used to orchestrate some pro-Trump rallies leading up the election, according to the Daily Beast.
Similarly, a recent poll from CNN showed that 54% of surveyed Americans believed Russian-back content helped influence the election. Another recent report showed how powerful modern tech companies really are; Facebook and Google alone are now eating up 92.7% of all U.S. growth in digital advertising, according to eMarketer.
Facebook's pledge
Zuckerberg’s Facebook post nonetheless pledges to work to fix the existing holes in its system which allows the platform to be hijacked in such a nefarious way.
“We will continue working with the government to understand the full extent of Russian interference, and we will do our part not only to ensure the integrity of free and fair elections around the world but also to give everyone a voice and to be a force for good in democracy everywhere,” The CEO’s post concluded.
