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Members of the House Intelligence Committee released a number of Russian-sponsored Facebook and Instagram ads on Wednesday.
The ads, which were seen by at least 10 million Americans, according to Facebook, are most likely associated with the Russian “troll farm” Internet Research Agency.
The spots, which were allegedly intended to create political division in the country, exploit some of the country’s most sensitive issues, such as gun control, the Black Lives Matter movement, gay rights, immigration, and more.
“America, we have a problem,” Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who sits on the House committee, said Wednesday to a group of social media representatives. “We basically have the brightest minds of our tech community here and Russia was able to weaponize your platforms to divide us, to dupe us and to discredit democracy.” Speier also sits on the House committee.