The divisive ads are part of an investigation into Russian-linked attempts to sway public opinion during last year’s election.
Facebook will publicly share the divisive ads purchased by Russian-linked operatives.
Congressional leaders say they plan to publicly release thousands of politically divisive Facebook ads purchased by Russian-linked operatives during the 2016 US presidential election.
Representatives Mike Conaway and Adam Schiff, leaders of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation, said Wednesday that they were working with the company to release the ads publicly after meeting with Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg .
„We’ve asked for Facebook’s help to help scrub any personally identifiable information, but it’s our hope that when they conclude, then we can release them publicly,“ Schiff told reporters Wednesday.
Sandberg said in a blog post late Wednesday that Facebook will work with the committee to release the ads.
„We have committed to working with them to do this in a way that protects peoples‘ privacy,“ Sandberg wrote. „We care deeply about the integrity of our democratic process and we are deeply upset by foreign interference on our platform.“
Conaway said any release would likely come after a Nov. 1 hearing at which officials from Facebook, Google parent Alphabet and Twitter are expected to testify.
