Indian media reported on 12 December that the Twitter account of PM Modi was hacked for a brief period. Prime Minister Office announced to ignore the tweets coming from Narendra Modi’s personal account during that time. However, the exact duration of the “brief period” was not clear. The announcement came after Modi’s account claimed that India had officially adopted bitcoin as a legal currency. It also read that government had bought 500 BTC, which would be distributed among the citizens. It was deleted later, but social media users stored its screenshots by then.
The tweet also gave a link to get “free bitcoin”, which was broken. The Computer Emergency Response Team India (CERT-In) has reportedly launched an investigation involving Twitter & Google to determine the source of the hack.
Micro-Blogging Website Responds to Twitter Account of PM Modi Being Hacked
Contradictory to the Indian government’s claim, the tech giant responded that its investigation did not reveal that the Twitter account of PM Modi was compromised due to any system breach. The company further assured that the lines of communication remained open with the Indian PM’s office round the clock. It added that the teams took necessary steps to secure the compromised account anyway as soon as they became aware of the suspicions.
Twitter also informed that no other accounts on the platform were hacked. The initial tweet shocked the Indian public due to the strong stance of Modi against cryptocurrency. They debated whether PM Modi had changed his mind about crypto or was it a hack.
Critics Argue Whether It Was a Hack or Not
The public opinion was divided due to the contradictory reports about the Twitter account of PM Modi getting hacked. The tech giant dismissed the possibility of a hack through its systems which brought more questions for the Prime Minister. Folks doubted that at least one party was lying to the public about this matter.
Some political commentators discussed that it might not be a hack, and Modi or someone from his team probably made a mistake. However, it is not clear why would Modi post about cryptocurrency as he publicly speaks against it. The controversial tweet came at a time when the Indian government was planning to introduce strict rules on cryptocurrency.
They also noted that Modi’s account was recovered way quicker than other compromised accounts.
It was not the first time Modi’s account had been hacked. Earlier, in September 2020, his personal website and mobile app account were hacked by unknown attackers. It posted a series of tweets urging its followers to donate cryptocurrency to a fake PM relief fund for COVID-19.
High-Profile Accounts Getting Hacked to Promote Cryptocurrency
The Twitter account of PM Modi was not the only one involved in controversial cryptocurrency posts. Last year, several high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised similarly. Billionaires like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Kanye West became the target of the biggest hack in Twitter’s history. Their accounts posted misleading information about crypto, claiming to send money on an anonymous link to receive double the amount.
