Google's admission comes just a week after Facebook, the world's largest social network, revealed that a Russian internet agency a year ago purchased around 3,000 targeted advertisements aimed at influencing the presidential election, which saw Republican Donald Trump defeat his Democratic rival Hilary Clinton.

She and two other Facebook executives, Erin Egan and Elliot Schrage, also met privately with Representative Jackie Speier, a California Democrat and member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Sandberg's outreach comes as the social media giant and other major internet firms, including Alphabet's Google and Twitter, are on the defensive as they try to limit the fallout from a torrent of new revelations about how Moscow sought to use their platforms as vehicles to sow discord in the United States and to influence the election.

Facebook, along with Twitter and Google, will next month testify before the House and Senate intelligence committees about Russian Federation meddling in the presidential election.

Sandberg said she supported the public release of those ads, and the pages to which they were connected.

Sandberg was also asked about female leadership in the workplace, to which she said, "The world is still run by men".

FILE PHOTO - Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg speaks during the opening of the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany September 14, 2017.

Meanwhile, Congress has started multiple investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, with lawmakers on both sides saying Russia meant to sow discord in the USA, spread propaganda and sway the election to elect Donald Trump. Trump has denied that there was any collusion between his campaign and associates and Russian Federation. We're angry, we're upset.

Sandberg said, according to Schiff, that Facebook is 'determined to take whatever steps are necessary to ferret out foreign actors creating fake identities and using their platform'. "Any time there is abuse on our platform, it troubles us".

Facebook said last month that the ads focused on divisive political messages, including LGBT issues, immigration and gun rights, and were seen by an estimated 10 million people. Twitter later reversed its decision.

"The hard thing about that question is, are we saying the answer, are we saying we don't have responsibility, so I want to be really clear", Sandberg said.

The Facebook COO dodged several questions during the Axios interview, including one on whether or not Facebook owed the American people an apology.

Representatives from all three internet companies are expected to appear before an open Senate Intelligence Committee on November 1, as evidence continues to mount that their platforms were manipulated with the aim of steering Trump towards winning the presidency.

Twitter and Facebook have said Russian Federation bought ads and had accounts on their platforms.