Google Finds Accounts Connected to Russia Bought Election Ads
Google found a separate $53,000 worth of ads with political material
that were purchased from Russian internet addresses, building addresses or with Russian currency.
Using accounts believed to be connected to the Russian government, the agents purchased $4,700 worth of search ads
and more traditional display ads, according to a person familiar with the company’s inquiry who was not allowed to speak about it publicly.
It is not clear whether any of those were connected to the Russian government, and they may have been purchased by Russian citizens, the person said.
The findings from an internal inquiry draw Google further into the growing investigation of how social networks
and technology services were manipulated by the Russian government to spread misinformation and sow division during the 2016 election.
The 2016 presidential election was the first time that Google allowed targeting by political leanings
and it allowed just two categories — left-leaning and right-leaning