Over 100 fake twitter accounts of ‘nurses’, offering support to the Cabinet’s coronavirus (Covid-19) strategy, have apparently appeared, then suddenly disappeared. There has been speculation on Twitter as to their origin.
This distraction comes at a time when details of government cock-ups regarding the outbreak appear almost daily.
Fake accounts
A claim has emerged that someone, either an employee with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), or via a contracted “marketing agency”, created 128 fake NHS twitter accounts. It’s alleged that postings on those accounts came from one person and “4 assigned contributors”, using the Hootsuite tool:
John O'Connell@jdpocRegarding those 128 fake #NHS Staff accounts posting for 'Herd Mentality' and support of the Govt that were set up by @DHSCgovuk or their marketing agency ...
Posts were sent using Hootsuite, a mass-posting tool. Account registered to 1 person with 4 assigned contributors.
It’s further claimed that the source is a person currently working for the department:
John O'Connell@jdpocRegarding those 128 fake #NHS Staff accounts posting for 'Herd Mentality' and support of the Govt that were set up by @DHSCgovuk or their marketing agency ...
Posts were sent using Hootsuite, a mass-posting tool. Account registered to 1 person with 4 assigned contributors.
John O'Connell@jdpocThe one person has been identified.
Despite the @DHSCgovuk reply to my queries of 'no comment' (and that's all she wrote), that person is a contracted Government employee temporarily assigned to this department.
The accounts were apparently promoting the government line at any one moment in time, so herd immunity one day, end of lockdown (and back to herd immunity) another day:
John O'Connell@jdpocAdditional :
DHSC and various NHS Trusts seem to show no interest in the welfare of the genuine staff members who's identities have been lifted and used for Government Propaganda.
Surely 'Duty of Care' comes into it?
No interest in the data when I offered.
John O'Connell@jdpocFurther :
The accounts originally pushed for the 'herd immunity'. In later days they changed tack and were were pushing for the country to 'open up again'.
Not to much of a stretch that the operation was to test the waters for a change in policy. Just a theory.
Denial
But when the matter was raised with the DHSC, the accounts suddenly disappeared:
John O'Connell@jdpocAddendum :
"43 accounts use actual photos of actual NHS staff."
Of which I have contacted a mere handful, 7, and confirmed that their identities were being used without authorisation.
Reason for only 7 contacted ? They're understandably a bit busy right now.
John O'Connell@jdpocAddendum : (again, sorry)
The accounts have now mostly gone, not suspended by Twitter but deleted by the account holder(s) in one simultaneous mass cull a few days ago ... At the click of a button.
Which itself, goes to prove the singular control of all the accounts.
This one, for example:
Anna Ssh, don’t mention #Brexit.@HMRobbinCs
's other TweetsAnd it turns out that the nurse named ‘Susan’ is apparently called Mia:
https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-300x210.jpg 300w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-75x53... 75w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-370x2... 370w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia.jpg 774w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" srcset="https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-720x505.jpg 720w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-300x2... 300w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-75x53... 75w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia-370x2... 370w, https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Susan-Mia.jpg 774w" />
The DHSC has denied all responsibility:
John O'Connell@jdpocRegarding those 128 fake #NHS Staff accounts posting for 'Herd Mentality' and support of the Govt that were set up by @DHSCgovuk or their marketing agency ...
Posts were sent using Hootsuite, a mass-posting tool. Account registered to 1 person with 4 assigned contributors.
Department of Health and Social Care ✔@DHSCgovukThese claims are categorically false.
To share disinformation of this kind undermines the national effort against coronavirus.
Before anyone shares unsubstantiated claims online, use the SHARE checklist to help stop the spread of harmful content:https://sharechecklist.gov.uk/
Some people wondered if the whole thing was an elaborate joke:
John O'Connell@jdpocThe one person has been identified.
Despite the @DHSCgovuk reply to my queries of 'no comment' (and that's all she wrote), that person is a contracted Government employee temporarily assigned to this department.
Edey@edeysalIt's a parody account ffs
Do you think anyone trying to create ghost accounts that could pass as real would write this in their bio#BanTheClap should've been your first clue, #FBPE the second
Please, stop with the conspiracies
Journalist Nafeez Ahmed states that if it turns out that a department of the government is responsible for these fake accounts, then we need to know more:
Dr Nafeez Ahmed ✔@NafeezAhmedThe UK Govt appears to be running a covert propaganda campaign to justify its failed #COVID19 strategy. How much are they paying out for for this #fakenews? Which private firm are they paying? And why isn't the wider press bothering to call it out? https://twitter.com/jdpoc/status/1252266724449230848 …
John O'Connell@jdpocRegarding those 128 fake #NHS Staff accounts posting for 'Herd Mentality' and support of the Govt that were set up by @DHSCgovuk or their marketing agency ...
Posts were sent using Hootsuite, a mass-posting tool. Account registered to 1 person with 4 assigned contributors.
More fake news
Journalist Mark Curtis responded to the DHSC rebuttal by pointing to an article by Phil Miller that claims how fake news is very much standard for this government:
Mark Curtis ✔@markcurtis30Great to see the government now doing rebuttals. Can they also do one to this? - analysis by @declassifiedUK on how the govt misled the public for weeks.https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-03-30-coronavirus-fake-news-how-the-british-government-misled-the-public-for-weeks/ …
https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1252229188481933313/AJLEC_7r?format=jpg&name=600x314); background-size: cover;">DECLASSIFIED UK: Coronavirus fake news: How the British government misled the public for weeks
Despite concerns over coronavirus fake news emanating from the Kremlin, it has been British government ministers and senior scientists who have repeatedly downplayed the severity of Covid-19 in the...
dailymaverick.co.za
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