Australia's election watchdog lacks power to investigate who is paying for Facebook political ads

Electoral commission admits it doesn't have the resources to scrutinise covert campaigns to influence voters

Australia's electoral authorities lack the resources and powers to investigate the opaque funding used to spread political ads on Facebook, an inquiry has heard.

The use of paid political advertising on the social network has posed challenges for democracies across the globe, including Australia, because it can allow unknown sources to use money to influence voters.