Read on Twitter
1. As some if you know I've been aiding the authorities to explain how people misuse dms and actor accounts to target people on Twitter.
Actor accounts are usually run by someone who doesn't want their activities to be linked to their main Twitter account.
Actor accounts are usually run by someone who doesn't want their activities to be linked to their main Twitter account.
2. Before I talk more about this, please do not reply with "just block" or "ignore", because actor accounts get around blocks and such constant attacks on a target account are damaging in myriad ways.
3. For the purposes of illustrating what I'm talking about, I'll be doing something I would never usually do and naming an actor account.
This isn't an attack, it is a reaction to over 2 yrs of attacks on me and others.
This isn't an attack, it is a reaction to over 2 yrs of attacks on me and others.
4. In this particular case, actor accounts have been used to amplify defamatory tweets, post misinformation and defamatory tweets themselves cause disunity and harvest data to be used in fake complaints against higher profile Twitter users.
5. I'm writing this now, because that is exactly what the actor account (@)leesamp1712 did yesterday.
It attacked a prominent pro EU account. When I and others told it to stop lying, it used those tweets to fabricate a complaint of bullying against it.
It attacked a prominent pro EU account. When I and others told it to stop lying, it used those tweets to fabricate a complaint of bullying against it.
6. If you look at that account, it appears perfectly normal. But it only has one real purpose and that is to attack 1 particular Twitter user.
It uses fake photographs to lull you into a false sense of security.
Beware of wolves in pro EU clothing.
It uses fake photographs to lull you into a false sense of security.
Beware of wolves in pro EU clothing.
7. To be clear, the authorities are already aware of the people behind these actor accounts and I understand that there have been 4 arrests so far.
8. Some of you may have noticed that I'm tweeting less and perhaps slightly differently.
I would be lying if I said that knowing that I'm constantly being watched and every word being a possible landmine that will be used against me, hasn't affected me.
I would be lying if I said that knowing that I'm constantly being watched and every word being a possible landmine that will be used against me, hasn't affected me.
9. However, to those reading this from behind a block with ill intent, remember that the authorities are also reading every tweet.
10. To my followers I would ask you to use your judgement and experience of the last few years to decide for yourself when you read derogatory tweets about me or others.
Ask yourself why are they writing them and why now?
Ask yourself why are they writing them and why now?
11. Recently I've been quite shocked by the wrong conclusions reached by people I trusted and thought I knew and more importantly who I thought knew and trusted me.
12. When I started tweeting I had values and principles. I still hold those same values and principles.
I may be tweeting about current events less, but in some small way I feel I'm contributing to making political Twitter a safer place.
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I may be tweeting about current events less, but in some small way I feel I'm contributing to making political Twitter a safer place.
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