Facebook rejected 2.2 million ads intended to obstruct US elections

Facebook rejected 2.2 million ads and removed 120,000 publications on the social networks Facebook and Instagram, which were intended to obstruct the United States of America’s presidential election, a company official said.

In an interview with the French weekly Jornal du Dimanche, quoted by France-Presse (AFP), Facebook’s vice president for public relations and communication, Nick Clegg, added that “alerts have been launched on 150 million false information verified by media independent communication “.

Facebook, which in its portfolio counts, among others, with the platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, says it has intensified its efforts to avoid a repetition of what happened in 2016, when its main network was used for handling operations carried out at from Russia during the US presidential elections and in the referendum for the UK to leave the European Union.

“Thirty-five thousand employees are responsible for the security of our platforms and contribute to the elections. We have established partnerships with 70 specialized media (…) in verifying information”, pointed out Clegg.

The official added that the company has artificial intelligence tools.

“We also have artificial intelligence tools. They made it possible to exclude billions of fake publications and accounts even before they were reported by users,” said Nick Clegg.

Likewise, the official added that Facebook stores “all ads and information, such as financing or provenance, for seven years, to ensure transparency”.

Nick Clegg, also a former British deputy prime minister, also said that, between March and September, the company removed “30 malicious networks around the world, some of which targeted the United States.”

In early October, Facebook removed more than 300 accounts and active pages on the Facebook and Instagram networks.

US elections are scheduled for November 3.

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