By the Numbers
2 Billion
Facebook has over 2 billion users, and 67% of Americans get their news from social media networks (including 74% of people of color).
2016
Before, during, and after the 2016 presidential election, Russian actors bought Facebook ads and promoted posts on hot-button issues like immigration, police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement and slavery to sow discord amongst American voters, and to influence the outcome of the election.
700,000
For at least a year, the biggest page on Facebook purporting to be part of the Black Lives Matter network, titled simply “Black Lives Matter,” was a scam with ties to a middle-aged white man in Australia. The page had almost 700,000 followers.