Facebook says it dismantles covert influence campaign tied to Saudi government

FILE PHOTO: Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meets Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the tech giant's headquarters in Silicon Valley, U.S. June 22, 2016. Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - People connected to the government of Saudi Arabia have run a network of fake accounts and pages on Facebook Inc to promote state propaganda and attack regional rivals, the social media giant said on Thursday.

Facebook said it had suspended more than 350 accounts and pages with about 1.4 million followers, the latest takedown in an ongoing effort to combat "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" on its platform, and the first such activity it has linked to the Saudi government.