Moderators say Facebook didn’t prepare them to catch Russian propaganda

When Facebook disclosed earlier this month that it was the target of a Russian propaganda campaign, it stayed light on details. The company said Russia-linked accounts had been used to purchase at least $100,000 in advertisements aimed at “amplifying divisive social and political messages.” But Facebook declined to provide any specific ads, to say who may have been a target of those ads, or to say how many people the ads may have reached. The incident raises questions about the thoroughness of Facebook’s ad review process.

When Facebook disclosed earlier this month that it was the target of a Russian propaganda campaign, it stayed light on details. The company said Russia-linked accounts had been used to purchase at least $100,000 in advertisements aimed at “amplifying divisive social and political messages.” But Facebook declined to provide any specific ads, to say who may have been a target of those ads, or to say how many people the ads may have reached. The incident raises questions about the thoroughness of Facebook’s ad review process.