Secret Service Apologizes for Insulting Fox on Twitter

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Secret Service Apologizes for Insulting Fox on Twitter


The United States Secret Service [http://www.secretservice.gov/] has apologized to Fox after an agent trashed-talked the network on the official Secret Service Twitter account.

You know those unsmiling guys in dark suits who jog alongside the President's car and talk into their collars? That's the Secret Service. The agency actually does a lot more than just take bullets for the President; there's a uniformed division that provides security and protection duties at the White House, the Department of the Treasury and other locations, and it also investigates currency counterfeiting cases. Watch In the Line of Fire [http://www.amazon.com/Line-Fire-BD-Live-Blu-ray/dp/B00186DV1U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305901407&sr=8-2] to learn more.

Anyway, during one of these investigations an agent apparently got bored and decided to share a bit of his job frustrations with the rest of the world. "Had to monitor Fox for a story," he wrote on Twitter. "Can't. Deal. With. The. Blathering." A fair and balanced assessment of Fox, you might say, but there was nonetheless a wee little bit of a problem with it. Instead of spreading the word on his own personal account, he put it out on the official Secret Service feed [https://twitter.com/secretservice].

This did not go over well, as you might imagine. The tweet was eventually deleted but not before it was "widely retweeted," screen caps made and much fun poked. And of course, the Secret Service had to eat it afterward. "An employee with access to the Secret Service's Twitter Account, who mistakenly believed they were on their personal account, posted an unapproved and inappropriate tweet," Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said in a statement. "The tweet did not reflect the views of the U.S. Secret Service and it was immediately removed. We apologize for this mistake, and the user no longer has access to our official account."

Amusing though this is - and I am very much amused - it's hardly the first or even the worst accidental tweet to slip out. The incredible ease with which anyone can communicate instantly with the entire world makes the occasional spot of ill-advised commentary inevitable. In February, Kevin Butler accidentally outed Dragon Age 3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107640-Kevin-Butler-Accidentally-Retweets-PS3-Jailbreak-Code-to-Thousands-of-Followers] with a tweet seeking environment artists to work on the game.

So remember, people: a little attentiveness goes a long way. Let's be careful out there!

Source: Mashable [http://mashable.com/2011/05/19/secret-service-twitter-fox-news/]


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Vornek

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Jan 25, 2011
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A "horrible" mistake...but a funny mistake nonetheless.

This is why I barely ever post...anything...at all. We're all humans, (i hope) and humans make mistakes.


-V
 

Ekonk

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Apr 21, 2009
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Nice to see the Secret Service people are just like me in at least one way.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Mistake? But thats true about FOX.

I bet FOX doesn't like it because its fact, and they don't like facts.
 

MetaKnight19

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Jul 8, 2009
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Funny as this is, why do the U.S. Secret Service have a Twitter account? OK it's not uncommon for companies to use Twitter nowadays, but an organisation like this you would have thought wouldn't have a Twitter account, or at least have someone responsible to use it.
 

Korak the Mad

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Nov 19, 2010
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Irridium said:
Mistake? But thats true about FOX.

I bet FOX doesn't like it because its fact, and they don't like facts.
So true. So very true.

They're always right and everybody in the world is always wrong.
They would like to think they know everything, but they're mostly wrong.
 

Sylocat

Sci-Fi & Shakespeare
Nov 13, 2007
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This could, of course, all be part of a grand public-relations ploy. It's certainly good.
 

crimsonshrouds

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Mar 23, 2009
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stating the truth about fox is wrong but its ok for them to make shit up? this world really makes sense. Sometimes i wish may 21 is true...
 

UnderCoverGuest

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May 24, 2010
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So they insult Fox by putting down a personal opinion or what not on Twitter...
...Then they insult everyone else by apologizing for it.

Nah, seriously, I have tremendous respect for those men and women who have dedicated themselves to the duty of protecting the Commander in Chief. But what are you gonna do these days in the media (especially in the U.S.). You throw a funny comment around and suddenly everyone wants to sue you and insult you back until you give them an apology or whatnot. Just throw out a minor press release saying 'fine, sorry, geeze' and get those dorks off your back.
 

Thumper17

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May 29, 2009
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MetaKnight19 said:
Funny as this is, why do the U.S. Secret Service have a Twitter account? OK it's not uncommon for companies to use Twitter nowadays, but an organisation like this you would have thought wouldn't have a Twitter account, or at least have someone responsible to use it.

^That.

Shouldn't they be, y'know, secret?
 

vxicepickxv

Slayer of Bothan Spies
Sep 28, 2008
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HankMan said:
Why are we forcing the Secret Service to watch FOX?
It's part of a case that one of them is monitoring for something. If I were that guy, I'd call up the NSA and have them write a bot for me.

UnderCoverGuest said:
So they insult Fox by putting down a personal opinion or what not on Twitter...
...Then they insult everyone else by apologizing for it.
That's a PR unofficial opinion notice. It's not a real apology. The guy never apologized for his statement. The Secret Service just said "that's like, your opinion man"
 

Wireframefool

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Mar 20, 2011
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Man, that's pretty funny. Gotta admit it's kinda silly of him to post it on a twitter feed for everyone to see, but that's what the internet is for.
 

SuperNova221

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May 29, 2010
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I found it more odd that the Secret Service has a public twitter account. Why would they do that?

It's only a small mistake though, and quite amusing. No harm was done, it's not as if it's rare for people to insult Fox.
 

Spacewolf

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May 21, 2008
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wonder what the story he was talking about of if it was just general crap, i can imagine some good motivational posters coming out of this