Facebook is facing a new push to reveal how its vast power is being used after it disclosed that roughly $100,000 worth of political ads were purchased on its platform by fake accounts and pages connected to a Russian troll operation. Open government advocates and researchers who study political ads told BuzzFeed News that Facebook’s massive reach and lack of transparency about ads on its platform represent a risk to the democratic process.

Alex Howard, deputy director of the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates for government transparency, said highly targeted online ads can be “weaponized against liberal democracies” because they do not meet the same levels of disclosure and visibility as traditional radio, TV, and print ads.

“It removes our ability to have transparency into who is trying to influence our politics, and any accountability for that influence,” Howard said. “And it takes away from the capacity of the traditional organs of democracy — that being the press and regulators and other institutions — to figure out who is behind political messaging, particularly at crucial times.”

Facebook and other tech giants have largely steered clear of major regulation in the United States despite their huge role in society. But concerns about the manipulation of political advertising by foreign entities and other parties is likely to increase government and regulatory scrutiny.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said today that there may be a need to introduce new requirements for social media platforms running political ads.

"An American can still figure out what content is being used on TV advertising. ... But in social media there's no such requirement," Warner said, according to CNN. "There may be a reform process here. I actually think the social media companies would not oppose, because I think Americans, particularly when it comes to elections, ought to be able to know if there is foreign-sponsored content coming into their electoral process."

Howard said the social platforms either need to come up with their own solution or be prepared to face government intervention.

“There’s two different ways this can go,” Howard said. “Either these technology companies can show that they understand that transparency and disclosure of political ad spending on their networks is now a matter of significant public interest, and act to voluntarily disclose. ... Or we’re going to see governments be reactive, and traditionally that’s when bad laws are made.”

Of particular focus for critics and congressional investigators is the use of so-called dark post ads by Russian trolls, as well as by campaigns, PACs, and other entities, to target specific Americans by geography, interest, and other data points. The Trump campaign invested tens of millions of dollars in targeted Facebook ads, and campaign strategists have openly credited this approach as being a major factor in victory.