Home French Government Twitter Account Hacked

French Government Twitter Account Hacked

France doesn’t lack for enemies these days. It passed a law outlawing the use of the Islamic headscarf in schools and the burqa in public. Recently, it started to expel Gypsies in a move reminiscent of the “ethnic cleansing” of the Balkans and the wartime roundup and murder of the Gypsies.

But who exactly hacked into @francediplo, the official French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Twitter account, today is hard to say. But whoever it was posted a most undiplomatic message.

Apparently it was an attempt to make is seem that the French government was expressing its imagined hatred of Romanians overtly. The government has destroyed over 100 Gypsy camps in France in the last week and expelled over 1,000 Gypsies to Romania. (Although this is getting a lot of news lately, France expelled 12,000 Gypsies in 2009 alone, according to Rom Europe.)

The tweet was quickly deleted and replaced with one explaining the account had been hacked but measures had been taken to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Does such a political hack (so to speak) make a political statement or is it merely a stunt? It felt pretty visceral to me, but the funky English made it initially difficult to understand the point behind the stunt.

Thanks to Steve Hemmerstoffer for the tip.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.