A Twitter troll who got his kicks on Monday by tweeting a series of dire but fake news updates as Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on New York City took to the microblogging service on Tuesday night to publicly apologize.
Shashank Tripathi is a New York City hedge fund analyst who â€" until resigning Tuesday â€" also managed Republican Christopher Wight’s campaign for the House of Representatives in New York. He uses the Twitter handle @ComfortablySmug (that’s his avatar pictured above right).
On Monday, as anxiety and panic gripped New York, he tweeted a series of false updates that began with “BREAKING.†One said that the floor of the New York Stock Exchange had been flooded. Another said that power company Con Ed would cut off service to all of Manhattan.
The messages were retweeted widely and even reported on by national media. They helped spread misinformation about the storm as worried New Yorkers and observers tried to find out what was happening. Some have publicly wondered since whether people who deliberately use social media to disseminate false information during national disasters should be prosecuted.
Tripathi’s cover was blown Tuesday morning after some Internet sleuthing by Buzzfeed‘s Jack Stuef. The @ComfortablySmug Twitter account remained silent after the outing until Tripathi posted this message late Tuesday night:
I wish to offer the people of New York a sincere, humble and unconditional apology. twitter.com/ComfortablySmu…
â€" ComfortablySmug (@ComfortablySmug) October 31, 2012
“I wish to offer the people of New York a sincere, humble and unconditional apology,†the note begins.
“While some would use the anonymity and instant feedback of social media as an excuse, I take full responsibility for my actions,†Tripathi continued. “I deeply regret any distress or harm they may have caused.â€
What does Tripathi’s apology mean to you? Should people be punished for tweeting fake news during times of crisis? Tell us what you think the comments.
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