Facebook roped in PR firm in smear campaign against rivals: Report

For over a year Facebook had amassed evidence of Russian activity through an investigation led by its former security chief, Alex Stamos

Facebook misled the public about its knowledge of Russian hackers’ use of the powerful platform to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, a New York Times investigation reported on Thursday.

It also said Facebook has at times smeared critics as anti-Semitic or tried to link activists to billionaire investor George Soros, and tried to shift public anger away toward rival tech firms.

In a lengthy investigative piece that is likely to trigger political repercussions in Washington, the Times argued that Facebook’s way of dealing with crisis was to “delay, deny and deflect.” It said its article was based on interviews with