By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – Surely it couldn’t possibly be genuine? After all, April 1 was three weeks ago. Sepp Blatter, according to Twitter, was sensationally stepping down as FIFA president and the decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup involved money illegally changing hands.
They were followed by several other claims, each powerful enough to bring FIFA’s entire house down, make every newspaper back page and lead every television and radio sports bulletin.
Many of the posts were re-tweeted but then came the news that it was all a spoof, that social media hackers had somehow got to the most powerful man in world football.
A group called the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility by signing off from both Blatter’s account and that of FIFA’s World Cup team.
One bogus tweet said: “It was decided that the president Sepp Blatter is to step down due to corruption charges.”
Another, purporting to be a reply from Blatter, added: “So what if I took money from Qatari prince? I am the family’s bread earner.” It was followed by the fake Mr Blatter saying: “I do not apologise for my decision. I have done the best for #FIFA.”
The official World Cup Twitter account also fell victim to the hackers with one bogus message declaring: “Sepp Blatter has been investigated for multiple charges of bribery.”
FIFA acted as quickly as it could. “We can confirm that some of FIFA’s twitter accounts, including the account of the FIFA President and @fifaworldcup, have been hacked today,” it said in a statement. “We are looking at this issue at the moment.
“In the meantime, to avoid any doubt, we kindly ask you to verify and check any statements that you see on a FIFA twitter account with the FIFA Media department (gro.a1734791398fif@a1734791398idem1734791398).”
Twitter accounts are routinely tampered with but quite how the hackers managed to interfere with that of the FIFA president raises alarming questions about certain aspects of the social media revolution as an immediate information tool.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734791398labto1734791398ofdlr1734791398owedi1734791398sni@w1734791398ahsra1734791398w.wer1734791398dna1734791398