Facebook to hand over Russian-sponsored ads to Congress

US social media giant Facebook said it would hand over information relating to Russia-sponsored ads on its site to Congress.

The company recently found that it had received money from a Russian-funded campaign which was spread across its network in the last two years.

While the ads did not support any political entity specifically, they were based on issues such as immigration and rights.

"I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity," Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said during an appearance on Facebook Live, the company’s video service.

Zuckerberg added that Facebook did not want its tool be used 'to undermine democracy'.

"We are looking into foreign actors, including additional Russian groups and other former Soviet states," he added.

Congressional committees are currently investigating attempts from the Kremlin to influence the 2016 presidential election in the US, and have asked Facebook to make the ads available to them.

Facebook said the activity originated from 470 fake accounts and were operated as part of larger operation based in Russia

Zuckerberg’s company has led a campaign to prevent the rise of fake news in the aftermath of the election.

"We are in a new world," he added. "It is a new challenge for internet communities to deal with nation-states attempting to subvert elections. But if that’s what we must do, we are committed to rising to the occasion."