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---
title: Facebook: 10 Million People in U.S. Saw Russia-Linked Ads
description: Facebook said that the Russia-linked ads it turned over to Congress on Monday were seen by about 10 million people in the United States
canonical: https://time.com/4966438/facebook-russia-linked-ads-election/
author: Katie Reilly
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article:published_time: 2017-10-03T00:07:00.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:45:09.878Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Facebook Says 10 Million People in the U.S. Saw Russia-Linked Ads
og:description: The ads focused on &quot;divisive social and political messages&quot;
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og:image:alt: Facebook on smartphones and tv&#x27;s
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twitter:title: Facebook Says 10 Million People in the U.S. Saw Russia-Linked Ads
twitter:description: The ads focused on &quot;divisive social and political messages&quot;
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt065afa3bdd731af9/6988e03d096a94c6b769fd2d/facebook-russian-ads.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Facebook Says 10 Million People in the U.S. Saw Russia-Linked Ads

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> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=443b8e06-46a7-4908-9497-4e2bdd4389bc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% |
| Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% |
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Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

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### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

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It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

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![Katie Reilly](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d44349b17cd03f9/6989408a457a5206a2d600b2/k_reilly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)


![Katie Reilly](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d44349b17cd03f9/6989408a457a5206a2d600b2/k_reilly.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Katie Reilly


Oct 3, 2017 12:07 AM UTC

![Facebook on smartphones and tv's](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt065afa3bdd731af9/6988e03d096a94c6b769fd2d/facebook-russian-ads.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

The Facebook logo is seen on an Apple iPhone in this photo illustration on Aug. 28, 2017.

The Facebook logo is seen on an Apple iPhone in this photo illustration on Aug. 28, 2017. Jaap Arriens—NurPhoto via Getty Images

![Katie Reilly](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d44349b17cd03f9/6989408a457a5206a2d600b2/k_reilly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)


![Katie Reilly](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d44349b17cd03f9/6989408a457a5206a2d600b2/k_reilly.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Katie Reilly


Oct 3, 2017 12:07 AM UTC

Facebook said that the 3,000 Russia-linked advertisements it [turned over to congressional investigators](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/technology/facebook-russia-ads.html) on Monday were seen on the social network by an estimated [10 million people](https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/10/hard-questions-russian-ads-delivered-to-congress/) in the United States.

The social media company said 44% of the ads were seen before the 2016 presidential election, and 56% of the ads were seen after the election.

Facebook turned over the ads this week in the midst of public scrutiny over its role in spreading “fake news” stories that critics say might have influenced the outcome of the election. Russia [created fake accounts on Facebook](http://time.com/4783932/inside-russia-social-media-war-america/) and bought ads with the goal of spreading false stories. And last month, [Facebook said](http://time.com/4930532/facebook-russian-accounts-2016-election/) nearly 500 accounts that originated in Russia purchased $100,000 worth of Facebook ads during the 2016 election.

Most of the ads focused on “divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum, touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights,” Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s vice president of policy and communications, said in a [blog post](https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/10/hard-questions-russian-ads-delivered-to-congress/) on Monday.

“We are continuing to refine our techniques for identifying the kinds of ads in question,” he said.

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