Not only on Facebook and Twitter, political messages from Russia were disseminated and seen by millions of people during US election campaign. Google is also expected to have found numerous political ads from Russia that should disseminate false information. This is reported by Washington Post citing informed individuals.
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Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on this, among or things, on Google’s YouTube video platform. The discovery was particularly significant as ads were from a different source from current state of knowledge than those on Facebook and Twitter. This suggests that activities that have been committed to Russia were even wider than previously known.
Google did not respond directly to information in a first reaction. The company shared with Google that re were strict rules for political advertising and a ban on targeted placement of ads by ethnicity and religion. At same time, attempts to misuse systems would be investigated. The company supports ongoing investigations.
In early September, Facebook had made election campaign public: The company found out that 470 Facebook accounts and about 100,000 dollars were used for advertising. Thus, about 3,000 contributions were circulated that focused on controversial issues such as gun ownership, immigration and LGBT rights, Facebook’s communications vice Elliot Schrage shared with beginning of October. The contributions reflected “political messages with a broad ideological spectrum”. In many cases, ads would have prompted users to like and subscribe to Facebook pages with corresponding views, said Schrage. The same group also paid in Twitter’s ad system to make mselves visible to more users.
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Google, in turn, is investigating Washington Post according to currently showing a volume of less than 100,000 dollars. The research was still at an early stage. So it was not to be experienced how many ads it would go and how often contents had been clicked.
The particular strength of advertising systems of Internet platforms is that you can select target groups to which y are to be displayed, right closely. For example, criteria such as residence, age, gender, interests or languages are used. It’s been known for a long time that in past US presidential campaign, campaign of eventually victorious Donald Trump used system to mobilize ir own voters and discourage rival Hillary Clinton’s followers. It is still unclear to what extent allegedly Russian advertisements made use of possibilities for targeted placement.
The Daily Beast reported that on YouTube, for example, account of Williams Kalvin, which was commissioned by Russia, was active on which Clinton, among or things, was insulted as a mass murderer and racist. The related Facebook channel was blocked in August as Russian propaganda.
Facebook and Twitter representatives loaded before US Congress
Facebook has released 3,000 ads from environment of Internet research Agency, which is said to be a link to Russia, although not published but handed over to US Congress. There, a committee wants to hear representatives of Facebook and Twitter on November 1. Wher or not Google could take part in hearing is open so far.
The Russian government has always rejected accusations of meddling in past US election campaign. However, US intelligence services, as well as US Senate Secret Service Committee, see it as proven, or most likely, that Russia has interfered in election campaign. Because of se accusations, Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama had imposed sanctions on Russia.
