Twitter, Facebook close accounts linked to Spanish party

 AP

MADRID  — Twitter and Facebook say they have removed 365 fake accounts linked to Spain’s conservative Popular Party that were used to influence public opinion and spread spam.

Twitter said Friday it culled from the social network 265 accounts “operated by the party” that were “identified as falsely boosting public sentiment online in Spain.” The accounts were active before Spain’s April 29 general election.

Facebook says it removed 65 Facebook accounts and 35 Instagram accounts after it uncovered links to individuals associated with the Popular Party.

Facebook said the accounts had posts about politics, elections and criticism of the party’s opponents.

The Popular Party denies it ran the accounts.

The once-dominant party heavily lost the April election to Spain’s Socialists.