SWAY

Report: Facebook, Google Aided Anti-Refugee Campaign in Swing States

Targeted a group they felt might be swayed by the message.

Facebook and Google employees allegedly aided an anti-refugee campaign in swing states like Nevada and North Carolina during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, specifically targeting such ads in order to reach audiences who might be more easily swayed by the campaign, Bloomberg News reports. The American-led campaign—distinct from reported Russian efforts to meddle in the U.S. election—was a collaboration that directly involved employees at the two companies. “It was designed to strike fear in people’s hearts,” one former employee said of the campaign. Bloomberg’s report is based on at least five people involved in the effort, in addition to internal reports.