We know that Russian operatives purchased ads on social media to promote divisive social issues. We know that the ads attempted to stoke passions on the left and the right. And we know that some were used to organize actual, in-person protests in the U.S.But until Wednesday, when the House Intelligence Committee released a batch of the Facebook ads and Twitter handles associated with Russian operatives, the American public had only caught glimpses of what Russian interference actually looked like.The Twitter names include misspellings of celebrities and media personalities (“ChrisHayesss”), imagined news outlets (“DailyNewsDenver,” “DailySanDiego”) and some otherwise normal-sounding names (“DonnieLMiller,” “Della_Carlson”).But the Facebook ads are quite varied. They include a muscle-bound Bernie Sanders, pro-police memes, fake Black Lives Matter ads, and much more. We’ve embedded some of the images below, along information about the people to whom they were targeted:
Bernie Muscles
Targeted location: The United States
Age: 18 – 65+
People who match: People who like LGBT United (another page set up by Russians)
Amount spent on ad: 111.49 rubles ($1.92 USD)
Ad impressions: 848
Muslims United
Targeted location: United States
Age: 18 – 59
Language: English (UK), English (US), or Arabic
People who match: Interested in Zaid Shakir [Islamic scholar], Muslims for America, or Abu Eesa Niamatullah [British cleric]
Amount spent on ad: 51,193.05 rubles ($878.94 USD)
Being Patriotic
Targeted location: The United States
Age: 18 – 65+
Amount spent on ad: 500 rubles ($8.60 USD)
Ad impressions: 3,362
Defend Second Amendment
Targeted location: Living in the United States
Age: 18 – 65+
People who match: People interested in the Second Amendment, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Sisters, and more
Amount spent on ad: 48,305.55 rubles ($830.85 USD)
Ad impressions: 301,608
Don’t Shoot
Targeted location: United States
Age: 14 – 65+
Amount spent on ad: 160,315.08 rubles ($2,752.41 USD)
Ad impressions: 329,876
Advertisement
Targeted location: The United States
Age: 18 – 65+
People who match: People who like LGBT United (another page set up by Russians)
Amount spent on ad: 111.49 rubles ($1.92 USD)
Ad impressions: 848
Targeted location: United States
Age: 18 – 59
Language: English (UK), English (US), or Arabic
People who match: Interested in Zaid Shakir [Islamic scholar], Muslims for America, or Abu Eesa Niamatullah [British cleric]
Amount spent on ad: 51,193.05 rubles ($878.94 USD)
Targeted location: The United States
Age: 18 – 65+
Amount spent on ad: 500 rubles ($8.60 USD)
Ad impressions: 3,362
Targeted location: Living in the United States
Age: 18 – 65+
People who match: People interested in the Second Amendment, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Sisters, and more
Amount spent on ad: 48,305.55 rubles ($830.85 USD)
Ad impressions: 301,608
Targeted location: United States
Age: 14 – 65+
Amount spent on ad: 160,315.08 rubles ($2,752.41 USD)
Ad impressions: 329,876