Both Facebook and Twitter are banned in China
but that has not stopped Beijing using both platforms
to advance its own agenda, whether that
is by taking out accounts for its own officials
or by simply paying for advertising.
But in recent months, as pro-democracy protests
in Hong Kong have ramped up, both Twitter and Facebook
say they have seen the use of their platforms
for something more sinister.
Both companies say they have noticed co-ordinated attempts
by the government in Beijing to spread disinformation
about the protests and to undermine their legitimacy.
Twitter says it has taken down 936 accounts,
which it said originated from mainland China
and were involved in attempting to spread fake news
about the Hong Kong protests.
Facebook, meanwhile, has taken down 15 pages, groups,
and individual accounts which it says
were associated with Beijing and focused on Hong Kong.
These are the latest in a series of steps both companies have
taken to combat the spread of disinformation and state-backed
attempts to use their services for propaganda.
Both companies know that taking such action
and publicising it will be crucial
if they are to recover their reputations following the 2016
US presidential elections.
But more importantly, with just over a year
until the next presidential elections,
both companies also know they will soon
be under more scrutiny than ever before.