Facebook removed five accounts, seven pages and three groups, run by individuals associated with the Chinese government, and which frequently posted content on political issues such as the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. The Facebook pages were followed by more than 15,000 accounts, the company said. "The individuals behind this campaign," the social media firm said, "engaged in a number of deceptive tactics, including the use of fake accounts — frequently posting about local political news and issues including the ongoing protests in Hong Kong." Facebook also shared some screenshots of the content that was being spread by the aforementioned accounts, pages and groups. These posts show protestors in Hong Kong in bad light, with some of them calling “cockroaches” and comparing them to Islamic State terrorists. [caption id="attachment_204101" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Translation: Cockroach soldiers | Courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Facebook’s investigation into the issue began after it received a tip from Twitter, where certain accounts posing as news media outlets were posting content with the aim of undermining the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Twitter, meanwhile, has announced that it will be banning state-controlled news outlets from advertising on the platform. Unlike Twitter, Facebook hasn’t announced any ban on advertisements. Multiple reports are saying that China-backed news outlets have upped the ante in advertising on social media platform, Twitter and Facebook, in particular to present protestors in Hong Kong as a public enemy. According to a BuzzFeed report, Chinese outlet CGTN posted an advertisement on Facebook showcasing four Hong Kong politicians as…
