Facebook on Thursday denied The New York Times report that suggested that the social network was aware of a Russian campaign designed to influence the 2016 US presidential election as early as spring of 2016.

"In the final months of Mr. (Donald) Trump's presidential campaign, Russian agents escalated a yearlong effort to hack and harass his Democratic opponents, culminating in the release of thousands of emails stolen from prominent Democrats and party officials," said the Times report on Wednesday.