Twitter prohibits ads from Russian news agencies RT and Sputnik over election concerns

Popular microblogging site Twitter will off-board advertising from all accounts owned by Russian media outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, it said in a statement Thursday.

Twitter said its decision was based on the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that RT and Sputnik tried to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election on behalf of the Russian government.

Twitter said late last month it had suspended some 200 Russian-linked accounts as it probes online efforts to meddle with the 2016 election.

The microblogging site also said that they decided to donate $1.9 million they are projected to receive from RT global advertising to "support external research into the use of Twitter in civic engagement and elections."