Comelec warns against fake social media accounts of commissioners

FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday advised the public against fake social media accounts of the poll body’s commissioners.

The Comelec issued an advisory after a fake account under the name of Commissioner Marlon Casquejo surfaced on Twitter.

The agency warned against the “proliferation of fake accounts and profiles, on various social media platforms, impersonating the officials of the Commission.”

“These blatant attempts to steal the online identity of Comelec officials are potentially part of a broader attempt to undermine the integrity of the elections. Apart from closely coordinating with social media platforms to take down these profiles and accounts, the Comelec stands ready to take legal action against the perpetrators,” the agency’s spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.

Facebook friend requests purporting to be coming from a Comelec commissioner or other key officials should not be accepted but reported for community standard violations, said the poll body.

Twitter profiles impersonating the officials should also be reported for violation of the social media platform’s impersonation policy, the Comelec added.

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