Mueller Has More Details On Russia’s Facebook Ad Buy Than Was Given To Congress: Report
The Special Counsel has the details on the Russia’s Facebook ads.
Facebook has handed over more details on the Russian ad buy on its platform than it gave to Congressional investigators, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.
“The information Facebook shared with Mr. Mueller included copies of the ads and details about the accounts that bought them and the targeting criteria they used, the people familiar with the matter said,” the Wall Street Journal noted.
Facebook policy requires a search warrant before it will hand over over specific information like location, which indicates that Mueller now has a search warrant in the case.
According to the report, “A search warrant from Mr. Mueller would mean the special counsel now has a powerful tool in his arsenal to probe the details of how social media was used as part of a campaign of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election. Facebook hasn’t shared the same information with Congress in part because of concerns about disrupting the Mueller probe, and possibly running afoul of U.S. privacy laws, people familiar with the matter said.”
After months of public denials, Facebook publically admitted last week that Russian operatives, in fact, used the network to spread fake news and organize political events. Additionally, the Russians spent at least $100,000 on advertising on the Facebook platform.
Read the full report by the Wall Street Journal here.
