Twitter said it has suspended several fake accounts pretending to be the Associated Press as it enters its third day of battling election-related misinformation.
Four accounts were taken down after appearing to make calls on the results of close swing state elections on behalf of the wire service. The reasoning for the permanent suspensions was that the accounts violated its policy on impersonation, Twitter said.
The AP is considered an authoritative voice on US electoral contests, and has been closely watched as races in key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona have gone down to the wire.
The director of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher Krebs, said on Twitter that “we’re seeing reports of fake media accounts calling a state — don’t fall for it!”
Since Tuesday’s election, Twitter has placed warning labels on tweets that spread election misinformation or prematurely call races — including five from President Trump.
With Post wires.