NEW YORK: Twitter has announced that it would no longer accept advertisements from “state-controlled news media entities,” though accounts affected by the new rule can still use Twitter as regular users.

The new policy comes hours after the company, along with Facebook, released information they said detailed a covert state-backed social media campaign run from China has sought to undermine ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong.

“We want to protect healthy discourse and open conversation,” Twitter said in a statement posted on its website. “We believe that there is a difference between engaging in conversation with accounts you choose to follow and the content you see from advertisers in your Twitter experience which may be from accounts you’re not currently following.”

The company said the new policy would only apply to “news media entities that are either financially or editorially controlled by the state.” That does not include taxpayer-funded entities, including independent public broadcasters, Twitter said.

Twitter did not name any Chinese entities in its statement. But the news was published hours after the company said it identified a network of more than 900 accounts that “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.”

(Agencies)