Pro-Sanders Posts On Facebook Attract Investigation

Facebook Inc. FB is investigating posts that favor Sen. Bernie Sander’s campaign.

What Happened

Allegations made by an “outside researcher” are under internal review by Facebook. The management of Facebook was informed about the investigative activity but it is not yet clear if the investigation is still continuing, reports The Wall Street Journal.

A Facebook spokesman told the newspaper that they look into each credible claim they receive. He said that in this particular instance when an outside researcher reached out to Facebook, they investigated as well.

The spokesman revealed, “To date, we have not been able to substantiate the researcher’s claims and we have not been notified by the intelligence community.”

Why It Matters

The interference of foreign powers in the 2020 election cycle has been raised by U.S. intelligence services in front of Congress.

Allegations of Russian interference in favor of both President Trump and now-frontrunner Sanders are being discussed in the media.

Facebook has been grappling with removing “inauthentic behavior from Russia.” In October 2019, the company removed 53 pages, 7 groups and 5 Instagram accounts that originated in Russia and targeted French and U.S. policies in multiple African countries.

What Else Is There

Facebook has also come under increasing pressure over political advertisements. Celebrities with thousands of followers such as Sacha Baron Cohen and Stephen King have quit the social network over the issue.