Twitter removes fake AP account that called election for Biden

Twitter suspended a fake account masquerading as The Associated Press on Friday. The account sent out a tweet announcing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election before it was disbanded.

The account, @APMyWrist, garnered hundreds of likes and retweets on the post before the social media giant shut it down.

Ken Sweet, a real reporter for the AP, urged his followers to stay up to date on the election by following the legitimate account for The Associated Press.

Fake @AP accounts are saying we called the election for Biden. We have not. Follow @AP_Politics

— Ken Sweet (@kensweet) November 6, 2020

“Fake @AP accounts are saying we called the election for Biden. We have not. Follow @AP_Politics,” he wrote.

The election has not yet been called for either candidate as more ballots are continuing to be counted.

Amid misinformation that has been circulating during this year’s election, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has sent out several tweets encouraging users to get the facts.

RUMOR CONTROL
We’re seeing reports of fake media accounts calling a state – don’t fall for it!

We predicted this would happen, check out the https://t.co/rqt4ZrZIzg entry! #Protect2020 pic.twitter.com/AqafRxEHx1

— Chris Krebs #Protect2020 (@CISAKrebs) November 4, 2020

“We’re seeing reports of fake media accounts calling a state – don’t fall for it!,” the agency tweeted a day after Election Day.

Twitter has taken several steps to combat misinformation by suspending accounts that do not follow its rules.

Earlier this week the social media platform suspended Stephen Bannon’s podcast Twitter account after he called for the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci’s head, with that of the FBI director, “on pikes.”

Twitter said Bannon’s account was suspended for violating “our policy on the glorification of violence.”