Twitter has announced that it will no longer run ads from state-controlled media outlets. The company also said that affected entities have 30 days to get off its advertising products. Affected Twitter accounts can still be used to engage in public conversation.
The social media platform clarified that it defines state-run media as media entities that are either financially or editorially controlled by the state. That said, exceptions are made for entities that cover only entertainment, sports or travel content. This policy will also not apply to taxpayer-funded but independent public broadcasters.
This new policy came into effect after Twitter suspended 936 accounts tied to a state-backed social media campaign from China. According to CNA, China’s Xinhua news agency and China Global Television Network paid to promote videos depicting Hong Kong protesters as violent. That said, CNA also reports that Twitter denies the relationship between the policy change and the suspended accounts.
Twitter explained its decision in a blog post yesterday. It said that it believes that there’s a difference between seeing content from accounts that you follow, as opposed to ad content from those that you don’t follow. This change in policy comes following Twitter’s claimed higher standards for advertisers.
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