Twitter bans over 100 accounts for violating its ‘Manipulation and Spam Policy’

Twitter has banned more than 100 user accounts for violating its ‘manipulation and spam policy.’ The accounts were using the hashtag #IStandWithPutin, which violated the manipulation and spam policy of the platform.

A spokesperson of Twitter has confirmed that the platform has removed all the spammy accounts for participating in ‘inauthentic amplification’ after multiple tweets went viral. The platform identified and permanently suspended a small number of violations of its platform manipulation and spam policy.

The tweet was first identified by Owen Jones, an assistant professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Digital Humanities at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. The Twitter ban is part of a larger effort by technology companies to curb the spread of false information after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Twitter started adding cautionary labels to tweets with content from Russian state-funded media channels. Meanwhile, platforms like Facebook and YouTube pulled all ads in Russia and blocked Russian advertisements globally.