U.S. Senators Blast Social Media Giants Over Russian Ads

Executives from some of the world's largest social media and Internet companies defended their firms' policies at a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on November 1. Senators grilled them on the widely-alleged misuse of their platforms, especially Russia’s efforts to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election and stir up emotions on sensitive social issues. Facebook, Google, and Twitter have said they found thousands of ads bought by Russia-linked accounts, including some paid for in rubles, and that they say were potentially seen by some 126 million people. (Reuters)