Former US President Donald Trump announced that he would launch a personal social media platform, but hackers gained access to it just hours after and posted images of expletives, defecating pigs, and more.
Former President Trump's Social Media Account Hacked
According to USA Today, the hackers are linked with the infamous group Anonymous, and the move was part of their online war against hate.
The New York Times reported that by using a false account named "donaldjtrump," the hackers posted several photos of pigs, wrote profane rants against the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, and made a fake account for Steve Bannon, the former adviser of President Trump.
The hackers also posted several memes from fake accounts for former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and others who were linked to the Trump administration.
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Aubrey Cottle, a hacker affiliated with Anonymous, revealed that they had a fun time trolling the former administration.
Cottle told numerous outlets that the group picked up clues after the site called Truth Social and made the app available for preorder on Apple's App Store earlier this week.
Users were able to join a waiting list for its release, and hackers claimed that these pieces provided enough information to access the version of the platform.
The hackers got access just hours after Truth Social was announced on Oct. 21. The app later barred new accounts and was immediately pulled offline.
According to a Washington Post reporter, they were able to register and post under an account name "mikepence."
On Oct. 20, Trump announced Truth Social months after he was banned from other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Trump was blocked from the social media sites after the pro-Trump riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Twitter has said that its ban on the former president is permanent.
Earlier this month, President Trump filed a lawsuit against Twitter to get his account back, but to no avail.
Facebook, on the other hand, said former President Trump could return in 2023. YouTube has stated that its ban on the former US president will be lifted after the risk of violence lowers.
Trump stated in a statement that Truth Social and the Trump Media and Technology Group would stand up to the tyranny of tech companies. The platform is expected to be released nationwide in early 2022.
Trump's Social Media in Trouble
CNN has cited three reasons why it is believed that Trump's social media platform will not take off.
Trump's social media platform is expected to rival Twitter. However, Twitter is a massive platform that has more than 200 million users. It is an already established platform and is used nationwide, while Trump's platform will only be accessible within the United States.
Also, the conservative social space is already crowded and is not doing so well. Parler was groomed to be the Twitter for conservatives, but that was shut down by app stores last year as a result of the Jan. 6 riots.
Lastly, Trump is no longer the president, and he is not running in any government position. He is still the most high-profile and powerful player in the Republican party.
However, since his ban on numerous social media platforms, his ability to steer coverage has lessened, and his fan base has decreased.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
