US Strategic Command Twitter account accessed by child: report
The post drew speculation online that the command had inadvertently sent out a nuclear launch code
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A child was apparently behind a bizarre tweet sent by the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) Twitter account Sunday, according to a report.
";l;;gmlxzssaw," read the tweet, which went viral and received more than 11,000 retweets before it was deleted. USSTRATCOM, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., posted a follow-up tweet apologizing "for any confusion," which was also deleted.
The strange message drew wild speculation online, including that the command inadvertently sent out a nuclear launch code. USSTRATCOM is in charge of the military’s nuclear forces and deterring missile attacks.
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Some joked that the communication was intended for aliens, while others wrote that a cat simply walked across the keyboard.
It was later revealed that a child produced the tweet when the command's Twitter manager briefly left his computer unattended, according to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the Daily Dot.
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USSTRATCOM didn't respond to a late-night request for comment from Fox News.
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"The Command’s Twitter manager, while in a telework status, momentarily left the Command’s Twitter account open and unattended," USSTRATCOM’s FOIA officer stated. "His very young child took advantage of the situation and started playing with the keys and unfortunately, and unknowingly, posted the tweet."
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The US Department of Defense(DOD) seal is seen on the lectern in the media briefing room at the Pentagon on December 12, 2013, in Washington, DC. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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"Absolutely nothing nefarious occurred, i.e., no hacking of our Twitter account," the response continued. "The post was discovered and notice to delete it occurred telephonically."