Twitter, Facebook shut down China-backed fake accounts

San Francisco: As pro-democracy protests gain momentum in Hong Kong, Twitter and Facebook have suspended several fake accounts that were part of the Chinese government’s influence campaign and targeted protest movement and the call for political change in Hong Kong.
Twitter said it has suspended more than 200,000 accounts involved in coordinated inauthentic behaviour — including 936 accounts originating from within the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Overall, these accounts were deliberately and specifically attempting to sow political discord in Hong Kong, including undermining the legitimacy and political positions of the protest movement on the ground,” Twitter said in a blog post late Monday.