The US-based company announced it would create a web page for its users to visit in order to find out if they liked or followed accounts with an alleged pro-Kremlin agenda. The tool would apply to accounts on both Facebook and Instagram, which has been owned by Facebook since 2012.

"This is part of our ongoing effort to protect our platforms and the people who use them from bad actors who try to undermine our democracy," Facebook said on Wednesday.

Read more: See which Facebook ads Russian agents bought during the US election

Previously, many US officials and media outlets accused Moscow of trying to shift public opinion in favor of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Russia-linked entities were blamed for using Facebook, Google, and Twitter to influence voters' opinions on divisive political issues, including LGBT rights, gun laws, and immigration.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement.

Tool to go online before the end of the year

Facebook has reported the bulk of the alleged propaganda came from the Internet Research Agency, a Russian-based firm believed to have deep ties with the Kremlin. According to US officials, the agency employs hundreds of people whose job it is to spread and endorse pro-Russian propaganda on social media.

Read more: Google uncovers Russia-linked ad campaigns aimed at manipulating US election

Some 126 million Americans were exposed to this content on Facebook, with 20 million more also seeing the controversial posts on Instagram, Facebook's top lawyer Colin Stretch told US lawmakers last month.

Both Facebook and its rival Twitter have since deleted the Russia-linked accounts.

This Facebook mock-up shows the imagined interface of the transparency tool

On Wednesday, Facebook displayed a mock-up for the new tool aimed to show users if they liked or followed the suspicious accounts on the platform. However, the portal does not seem able to show individual posts or ads the users may have seen or interacted with. The search would also be limited to the January 2015 – August 2017 timeframe.

The company said the tool would be ready to use before the end of the year.

Lawmakers want more from social networks

Last month, Facebook representatives testified on the alleged Russia involvement before the US Senate Judiciary Committee. The lawmakers have since urged the social media companies to do more to confront the perceived Russian meddling. Some have demanded that the company sends individual notifications to its users who have been exposed to questionable accounts.

Read more: Facebook, Twitter, Google called on to meet US intelligence committees

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Free speech or illegal content? Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks. From drawn-out court cases to blanket bans, DW examines how some countries try to stop the circulation of illicit content while others attempt to regulate social media.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Social media law After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Right to be forgotten In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove "inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive" search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as "free as the world's least free place."

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Blanket ban In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Safe Harbor In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Regulation In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia's influence for Donald Trump's election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they "liked" or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Author: Lewis Sanders IV (dj)



Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff called the Wednesday move a "very positive step," but said that more is needed. He repeated he would like to see a joint report from Facebook and Instagram on "how Russia used these platforms to sow discord and influence the election."

Twitter banned the ads from RT (formally Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency in October over election meddling. The unprecedented move prompted anger in Russia.

dj/se (dpa, AP, Reuters)