US social media companies Twitter and Facebook say they have suspended accounts aimed at undermining ongoing protests in Hong Kong. They say they confirmed the involvement of Chinese authorities in the accounts.
Twitter said on Monday that it had suspended 936 accounts believed to have originated in mainland China. It said the accounts showed contents that undermine the legitimacy of protests in Hong Kong, inciting political discord in the region.
Many of the accounts reportedly used VPN, or virtual private network services, to access Twitter, as the Chinese government has blocked access to the social media platform.
Twitter said its survey found the systematic involvement of Chinese authorities in the accounts.
Facebook also said on Monday that it had removed five accounts and seven pages, some of which portrayed protesters as terrorists. It said posts were uploaded by fake accounts presented as those of media outlets. Facebook added that it uncovered the possible involvement of persons linked to Chinese authorities.
The two companies say they will steadily deal with such illicit conduct.
NHK
