back to article Official US govt Twitter accounts caught tweeting in Russian, now mysteriously axed

The US Digital Registry – an authoritative list of government Twitter accounts – reveals that almost 30 have been suspended, several after tweeting in, er, Russian. Justin Littman, a software developer and librarian in the ‎Scholarly Technology Group at George Washington University's Gelman Library, identified the accounts in …

  1. oxfordmale78

    не нам

    товарищ, вы ложно обвиняете нас. мы были созданы

    1. Solmyr ibn Wali Barad

      Re: не нам

      Эх, умник. Я не я и корова не моя?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    не будь умной задницей

    1. Mpeler
      Big Brother

      Bull - winkle

      Moose and Squirrel will be by later to confirm your postievsky...

    2. JJKing
      Thumb Up

      Comrade Anonymous Coward just outed himself.

      не будь умной задницей

      Comrade Anonymous Coward, another nail in your coffin.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      не будь умной задницей

      Why do people keep thinking that google translating "don't be a smartass" into another language - where the translation makes no sense, so I had to mentally back-translate it to English - would let them pass for a native speaker?

      Of course, that was still a better effort than the "russki" comment which started the thread, which does not even form a complete sentence, and makes no sense whatsoever, in any language I understand.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Probably ordinary hackers

    Accounts with weak passwords, or a known email address that was able to be compromised for a password reset.

  4. Mark 85

    In some cases, I'm guessing some low level manager had an account created thinking it's a good idea. Then he/she left and whoever below him/her who was doing the heavy lifting stopped doing it. I've seen this in private industry so why not in government? Security? Our government has heard of it.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      "Security? Our government has heard of it."

      Are you sure?

      1. Oengus

        Yes. They have heard of it. They use it as an excuse to reduce civil liberties and privacy all of the time.

      2. scrubber
        Big Brother

        Re: Security

        "Are you sure?"

        Yes/ They're very much against it.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      just in case you don't hear a mention of this from the 'government controlled Twitter/mass-media channels'

      https://www.thetimesbrief.co.uk/users/39175-the-brief-team/posts/22338-civil-liberties-groups-take-surveillance-law-challenge-to-european-court

  5. Winkypop Silver badge
    Devil

    Not Russian

    Trumplish

  6. jake Silver badge

    "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

    Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with this concept?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

      twittocracy is on, death to the twitter-fusnix!

      p.s. give it a few years, the only way to see your doctor (vid) is to log in via your facebook or twitter gov-approved account...

      1. Old Coot

        Re: "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

        Or try getting a job if you're not on social media. They think you must have something to hide. I'm not religious, but how can one not think of the "mark of the beast" in Revelations?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

          >Or try getting a job if you're not on social media.

          Try visiting the US and explain to TSA that "No, I really do not have a Twitter or Facebook account".

        2. Ken Hagan Gold badge

          Re: "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

          "They think you must have something to hide."

          I'd think of it as an early warning system for "crap employers". They can look for my social media presence if they like, but I wouldn't want to work for them if they are bothered by its absence.

          1. jake Silver badge

            Re: "Official Government Twitter Accounts"

            I live in the US. I do not have a twitter, facebook, linkedin, instagram, etc. account.

            I turn down far more work than I accept.

  7. Ryan 7

    "Littman considers it curious...

    ... that anyone would want a screen name like @ProjectBlueBtn that had been previously associated with a government agency."

    Because anything with a PageRank has advertising value, duh.

  8. MatsSvensson

    Mmmm..

    koka kola, zymbol ov free vezt!

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like