Facebook reportedly gave more Russian ad details to special counsel Mueller than to Congress

Facebook gave special counsel Robert Mueller more records on Russian ad purchases than it provided to Congress last week, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The information provided to Mueller included copies of the ads, information about the accounts buying them and their targeting criteria, the people said, according to the report. The information provided to Congress included copies of the ads and buyers’ identities.

Former FBI Director Mueller was appointed by the Department of Justice to investigate Russian interference in the U.S. election.

Facebook didn’t share that data with Congress partly amid concerns it might disrupt the Mueller probe and due to U.S. privacy laws, the people said, according to the report.

The report said a Facebook spokesperson said the company was continuing to investigate and was cooperating with authorities, and that a spokesperson for Mueller declined to comment.

Facebook and Mueller’s office didn’t immediately return CNBC’s emailed requests for comment, which were sent outside office hours.

Source: CNBC