Russian Facebook adverts targeted states ‘crucial to Trump victory’
Social media giant estimates Kremlin-backed ads were seen by ten million Americans during election

Russia-linked Facebook ads targeted swing states crucial to US President Donald Trump’s victory, according to new reports, adding further fuel to claims that the Kremlin interfered in last year’s election.
CNN has cited four sources “with direct knowledge of the situation”, who confirmed that Russian ads targeted the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin in the run-up to the vote last November.
Michigan, which Trump won by about 10,700 votes from his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, and Wisconsin, which he won by about 22,700, were both crucial to his electoral college victory.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
NBC News also claims political ads targeted other swing states, including Florida, Georgia and Ohio, all of which went to Trump.
As part of investigations into foreign involvement in the election, special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees are asking whether the Russians received any advice from Trump associates on where to target the ads. The focus on Michigan and Wisconsin “adds more evidence that the Russian group tied to the effort was employing a wide range of tactics potentially aimed at interfering in the election”, says CNN.
On Monday, Facebook’s vice president for policy and communications, Elliot Schrage, said an estimated ten million people in the US saw at least one of the 3,400 political ads bought by accounts linked to the Russian government.
Schrage said most of the ads “appear to focus on divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum, touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights” and were designed to appeal directly to swing voters.
His disclosure came hours after Facebook handed over detailed records of the ads to House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees, including data about buyers and their targets.
Facebook has admitted it is “possible” that there are more Russian-bought political ads on the network yet to be identified. Although the focus has been on assessing the origin and impact of ads placed in the run-up to the presidential election, there are also concerns that the site could be weaponised again for the 2018 midterms.
CNBC says Facebook is facing “mounting criticism” in Washington about its response to the propaganda and misinformation that Russia-based organisations placed on its site.
Following Trump’s victory, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said it would be “crazy” to think the site could have swayed the election. Yet, less than a month ago, evidence that foreign political actors had used the site to influence voters led him to apologise for the comment, and pledge the company’s commitment to stopping foreign governments interfering in US elections.
In response to the latest Facebook submissions, Senator Mark Warner, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said he intends to introduce a bill that will remove an exemption for online political ads that has previously shielded their buyers from public scrutiny.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Hotels with kitchen gardens for a foodie weekend away
The Week Recommends Feast on seasonal produce straight from the veg patch at these country retreats
-
Succession planning as the Dalai Lama turns 90
In the Spotlight China 'determined to shape the narrative' around choice of Tibet's next spiritual leader
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San Francisco
Under the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
Is the G7 still relevant?
Talking Point Donald Trump's early departure cast a shadow over this week's meeting of the world's major democracies
-
Angela Rayner: Labour's next leader?
Today's Big Question A leaked memo has sparked speculation that the deputy PM is positioning herself as the left-of-centre alternative to Keir Starmer
-
Is Starmer's plan to send migrants overseas Rwanda 2.0?
Today's Big Question Failed asylum seekers could be removed to Balkan nations under new government plans
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
-
Silicon Valley: bending the knee to Donald Trump
Talking Point Mark Zuckerberg's dismantling of fact-checking and moderating safeguards on Meta ushers in a 'new era of lies'
-
'We should be shouting the pluralism achievements of college athletics from the mountaintops'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records