Social media outlets fight Chinese propaganda

Twitter on Monday took a stand against Chinese interference in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. The social media service suspended more than 200,000 accounts and said it will ban ads from Chinese government–backed media companies. Facebook removed seven pages, three groups, and five accounts, including some that portrayed protesters as cockroaches and terrorists.

The Chinese government said Tuesday it wasn’t aware of the propaganda allegations. It has promoted a narrative that the Hong Kong protesters are armed and dangerous and colluding with the United States to undermind Chinese authority. The protests started in opposition to a bill in Hong Kong that would have made it easier to extradite criminal suspects to China, where they could face unfair trials.

Dig deeper: The British Foreign Ministry said one of the employees of its Hong Kong consulate, 28-year-old trade and investment officer Simon Cheng Man-kit, has been missing since an Aug. 8 business trip to Shenzhen, China. His disappearance is one of many things making Chinese relations with the West extra tense these days.