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Facebook: Russia-linked posts distributed to 126 million users

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Facebook says a Russian internet agency posted more than 80,000 pieces of content during and after the 2016 election, and that content was distributed to an estimated 126 million users.

WASHINGTON >> Facebook says a Russian group posted more than 80,000 times on its network during and after the 2016 election, potentially reaching as many as 126 million users.

The company plans to disclose these numbers to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the testimony. The person declined to be named because the committee has not officially released the testimony. Facebook, Twitter and Google will testify at three hearings Tuesday and Wednesday.

Facebook lawyer Colin Stretch will explain Tuesday that Russia’s Internet Research Agency posted the material between 2015 and 2017. The posts spread widely, although many of those 126 million people may not have seen it.

Such “organic” posts are distinct from more than 3,000 advertisements also linked to the agency.

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