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More than 200 YouTube accounts removed over Hong Kong disinformation campaign

Google says it has removed more than 200 accounts involved in a disinformation campaign targeting...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

15.44 23 Aug 2019


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More than 200 YouTube accounts removed over Hong Kong disinformation campaign


Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

15.44 23 Aug 2019


Share this article


Google says it has removed more than 200 accounts involved in a disinformation campaign targeting the Hong Kong protests.

It follows similar moves by Facebook and Twitter, who removed hundreds of accounts linked to the Chinese government earlier this week.

In a statement, Google confirmed their investigation found evidence "consistent" with the recent announcements by the two other social networks.

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The tech giant said: "Earlier this week, as part of our ongoing efforts to combat coordinated influence operations, we disabled 210 channels on YouTube when we discovered channels in this network behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.

"We found use of VPNs and other methods to disguise the origin of these accounts and other activity commonly associated with coordinated influence operations."

The Hong Kong protests are now into their 12th week, with a movement that began in opposition to a controversial extradition bill sowing no sign of abating.

Activists' demands include the complete withdrawal of the now-suspended bill, and for an investigation to be conducted into the police handling of the protests.

Following several weeks of clashes between police and activists, last weekend saw hundreds of thousands of people protest peacefully in and around a city park - with some estimates putting the crowd size at 1.7 million.

Chief executive Carrie Lam said she hoped the peaceful protest marks an opportunity to open a fresh "platform of dialogue" and the beginning of "society returning to calm".

With further demonstrations expected this weekend, local media reported earlier this week that a court in Hong Kong had 'indefinitely' extended an injunction preventing protesters from stalling operations at the region's international airport.

There was widespread disruption at the airport earlier this month when authorities decided to halt flights as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the terminals.

Main image: Hundreds of accountants march at Chater Garden in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Picture by: Kin Cheung/AP/Press Association Images

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