Twitter Scramble to Crush Text-to-Vote Hoax
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| BuzzFeed |
That, in and of itself, should have been enough of a red flag for many, as any information about how to vote is typically presented impartially. Sure enough, not long after the tweets started going out, people were reporting them in, but it wasn't until BuzzFeed news got hold of it and contacted Jack Dorsey directly that Twitter actually did something about it.
That something about it ended up being a full removal of all the tweets, and a disclaimer warning people that if they did try and vote via text, for Clinton or otherwise, nothing would happen. One account has been banned, but the tweets had emanated from several, so there may still be work to do yet before the tide is stemmed. The account which was suspended belonged to a self-proclaimed 'hero of the alt-right' who has had previous accounts blocked for similar reasons.
Twitter just informed me that attempting to disenfranchise voters is not a violation of their Terms of Service. @jack @Support pic.twitter.com/YXVdt8sHwA— Robert McNees (@mcnees) November 2, 2016
Cannily, the Clinton campaign have actually taken advantage of the hoax. They drafted in iVisionmobile, who took over the number advertised so that any unwitting Clintonites who try it will be told they've been had, and then provided with a number for the actual text subscription campaign. Well played, Hill-dog.
This is another chapter in the long, sad tale of unpleasantness which manages to slip through the cracks of Twitter, but it seems like no permanent damage has been done this time. It shouldn't be any kind of praising statement that they actually sorted this out, but by comparison to previous incidents, they did well to act as quickly as they did.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum
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Twitter Scramble to Crush Text-to-Vote Hoax
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Friday, November 04, 2016
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, November 04, 2016
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Unknown
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