Facebook expands scope of Russian influence on Americans for second time
Jessica GuynnSAN FRANCISCO — Facebook says a Kremlin-linked influence campaign reached 146 million Americans, significantly more people than the giant social network originally disclosed.
The admission, made by Facebook during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Wednesday, widens the scope of the Russia campaign to sow political discord and manipulate the 2016 presidential campaign.
Earlier this week Facebook disclosed that 126 million Americans, a third of the U.S. population, may have been exposed to the Russian campaign. Posts on Instagram add another 20 million people, Facebook's general counsel Colin Stretch told lawmakers.
Facebook, which owns the popular mobile app, says 16 million Instagram users may have seen the Russian posts. An additional 4 million may have seen posts prior to October 2016, Facebook said.
Facebook has twice increased the number of Americans potentially reached by the Internet Research Agency's campaign. At first, it said 10 million people were reached. Then this week it said 126 million people were reached, thanks to users sharing, liking and forwarding the posts.
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More:Facebook makes political ads more transparent ahead of Russia hearings
In the second of three Capitol Hill hearings this week, Facebook, Google and Twitter took fire from senators from both parties for failing to identify and stop the Russian campaign.
"I don't think you get it," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told the companies. "What we're talking about is a major foreign power with sophistication and ability to involve themselves in a presidential election and sow conflict and discontent all over this country. We are not going to go away gentlemen. And this is a very big deal."
