london russian-based operatives place three advert facebook run-up britain 2016 referendum eu membership spend 97 cents raise issue immigration social media platform say wednesday british lawmakers call inquiry whether russia meddle britain vote leave eu social media platforms say russian operatives seek interfere u.s. election donald trump russia deny meddle brexit u.s. election facebook send find electoral commission examine digital campaign affect politics britain include activity fund outside country facebook say examine whether account profile page link internet research agency ira fund ads brexit vote ira russian organization accord researchers employ hundreds people push pro-kremlin content social media determine account associate ira spend small amount money 0.97 advertisements deliver uk audiences time facebook say amount result three advertisements also target u.s. audiences concern immigration eu referendum deliver approximately 200 impressions uk viewers four days may 2016. separate cross-party british parliamentary committee also investigate whether facebook ads buy russian-linked account around eu referendum 2017 uk election issue whether russia intervene 2016 u.s. presidential election subject multiple investigations facebook say october russia-based operatives publish 80,000 post social network two-year period effort sway u.s. politics 126 million americans may see post time electoral commission oversee run british elections say would say find due course facebook say russian-linked account spend 97 cents ads brexit