Twitter Blocks Saudi 'State-Backed' Manipulation Effort

Twitter said Friday it suspended thousands of accounts linked to a "state-backed" manipulation effort stemming from Saudi Arabia.

The online service said nearly 6,000 accounts being blocked were linked to Saudi "information operations" in violation of Twitter's platform manipulation rules.

Most of the accounts were in Arabic and aimed "amplifying messages favorable to Saudi authorities," but that some English language content was aimed at "Western audiences."

"Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targeting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage," the Twitter safety team said in a blog post.

Twitter said the crackdown, which dates back to 2018, has removed more than 88,000 accounts engaged in similar actions.