Facebook (FB), under congressional scrutiny for the role its social network played in the 2016 U.S. election, took a step Wednesday to inform users if they were fooled by misinformation from Russian operatives.
Autoplay: On | OffFacebook said it will soon create a portal to enable people on Facebook to learn which Facebook pages or Instagram accounts they may have liked or followed created by Russian actors between January 2015 and August 2017. The new tool will be available for use by the end of this year in the Facebook Help Center.
"It is important that people understand how foreign actors tried to sow division and mistrust using Facebook before and after the 2016 U.S. election," Facebook said in a post on its website. "That's why, as we have discovered information, we have continually come forward to share it publicly and have provided it to congressional investigators."
In September, Facebook announced it found more than 3,000 ads addressing social and political issues that ran in the U.S. between 2015 and 2017 and that appear to have come from accounts associated with an entity known as the Internet Research Agency — a Russian company that engaged in an online operation on behalf of the Russian government. The ads were shared with congressional investigators.
Russia's campaign to meddle in the U.S. election reached 126 million people through 80,000 posts on Facebook.
IBD'S TAKE: Facebook is an IBD Leaderboard stock with an IBD Composite Rating of 99 out of a possible 99 and remains in buy range from a 175.59 buy point. Here's a simple routine to help you understand how to invest in the stock market.
Facebook had said the ads and accounts "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum — touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights."
Facebook shares dipped 0.5% to close at 180.87 on the stock market today. Facebook shares are up 56% this year.
Facebook scored multiple price-target hikes on Nov. 2 following its quarterly earnings report that blew past estimates.
0 comments: