Facebook to verify election ads with postcards on Russian meddling claims

Foreign nationals prohibited under US law from contributing money in connection with any election in the US

Facebook will start using postcards sent by US mail later this year to verify the identities and location of people who want to purchase US election-related advertising on its site, a senior company executive said Saturday.

The postcard verification is Facebook’s latest effort to respond to criticism from lawmakers, security experts and election integrity watchdog groups that it and other social media companies failed to detect and later responded slowly to Russia’s use of their platforms to spread divisive political content, including disinformation, during the 2016 presidential election.

Facebook revealed the plans a day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller unsealed