Beijing has accused Twitter and Facebook of censoring mainland Chinese people’s views on the Hong Kong protests, after the social networks disabled accounts allegedly linked to a state-backed media campaign.
Twitter claims to have suspended 936 accounts, reportedly originating from mainland China, which they said appeared to be part of a coordinated state-backed campaign to criticize the protests in Hong Kong. Facebook said it also removed a number of “fake” accounts and pages linked to people associated with the Chinese government after a tip-off from Twitter.
Also on rt.com ‘Those playing with fire will perish by it’: Beijing sends warning to Hong Kong protestersOn Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang refused to comment on the claims made by the social media giants, but said Chinese people “have the right to express their point of view” on the protests.
“What is happening in Hong Kong, and what the truth is, people will naturally have their own judgment. Why is it that China’s official media’s presentation is surely negative or wrong?” Shuang asked during a daily news briefing.
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