Social media watchers on Friday had been handled to surprising and dramatic world developments courtesy of the New York Post and United Press International: World War III declared by the Pope! China and the United States engaged in a severe navy battle!
Thankfully for the worldwide group, it was simply (one other) case of hacked Twitter accounts going haywire.
Both UPI and the New York Post had their Twitter feeds hijacked at round 1 p.m. on Friday, as President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the media on cyber safety and the necessity to beef up on-line defenses.
While the 2 leaders answered questions, the information organizations’ Twitter feeds had been stuffed with stories of China condemning President Obama’s “pivot to Asia” earlier than firing on and damaging of the USS George Washington, an American plane service based mostly within the Pacific. The feeds additionally said that the US was concerned in “active combat” in opposition to China within the South China Sea.
“US Joint Chief of staff: USS George Washington damaged, US navy now engaged in active combat against Chinese vessels in South China sea,” learn one tweet.
Another learn: “JUST IN: Xi Jinping: Obama ‘condemned’ for Asia pivot, ‘has forced China to protect its interests through military means.’”
Meanwhile, UPI tweeted that Pope Francis declared “World War II has begun.”
Less dramatic — however nonetheless very fallacious — was a NY Post enterprise part tweet which stated the Federal Reserve desires “negative interest rates to avoid market recession due to low oil prices.”
Both the Post and UPI rapidly deleted the tweets after they had been posted, and acknowledged that they had been hacked.