China has been running a covert social-media operation targeting Hong Kong protesters, Twitter says

A covert state-backed social media campaign run from China has sought to undermine ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong, according to information released by Twitter on Monday.

Twitter said it had 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.”

This is the first time a tech company has pointed the finger at Beijing for covert efforts to influence messaging around the protests in Hong Kong, which have now involved 11 consecutive weekends of mass demonstrations.

The company said many of the accounts accessed the platform using VPNs because Twitter is blocked in China.

This is a developing story.