News24.com | Twitter\, Facebook: China used platforms against Hong Kong protests

Twitter, Facebook: China used platforms against Hong Kong protests

2019-08-19 22:41
A sea of democracy activists flooded the streets of Hong Kong in a defiant show to the city's leaders that their movement still pulls wide public support. (Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP)

A sea of democracy activists flooded the streets of Hong Kong in a defiant show to the city's leaders that their movement still pulls wide public support. (Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP)

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Twitter and Facebook on Monday said they uncovered campaigns by China to use the social media platforms against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

"We are disclosing a significant state-backed information operation focused on the situation in Hong Kong, specifically the protest movement and their calls for political change," Twitter said in an online post.

Facebook said in a separate post that a tip from Twitter led to the removal of Facebook pages, groups and accounts involved in "coordinated inauthentic behavior as part of a small network that originated in China and focused on Hong Kong."

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