U.S. Congress panels probe whether Russia got Facebook data: sources

WASHINGTON – Investigators on two congressional panels are looking into whether Russia acquired the data of millions of Facebook users and if companies with ties to then-2016 Republican election candidate Donald Trump's campaign played any role in providing it, three sources familiar with the inquiries said. On Tuesday, Facebook said it had deleted 70 Facebook accounts, 138 Facebook pages and 65 Instagram accounts that it said were "controlled" by the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian propaganda arm based in St. Petersburg. Last September, Facebook disclosed that it had suspended about 470 "inauthentic accounts" that it believed were "likely operated out of Russia" and had purchased 3,000 ads which "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages." And on Wednesday, the social media platform said the personal information of up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, up from a previous news media estimate of more than 50 million. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will testify on April 10 and 11 to Congress.