MP asks for way to label fake Twitter accounts
MP Peter Bone has asked for a way to label fake Twitter accounts, following an account being set up in his wife’s name.
Peter Bone is known for asking questions in the Commons on behalf of his wife Jennie, who he describes as the voice of Middle England.
An account has been set up under her name, with over 100 followers, featuring tweets such as "So proud of Peter on BBC News, expressing the horror felt by every right-thinking person on the disgraceful activities of the gutter press” and “Has 100 followers. How lovely. More, I think, than Mr E Miliband will have soon. I think I'll have a celebratory custard cream!”
Mr Bone said in the Commons: "Mr Speaker, I don't know if you tweet but can I direct you to a site called Mrs Jennie Bone which is being followed by more than 100 people, included journalists and MPs?
"It's very interesting and very amusing. There is one slight problem: it's completely bogus. This seems to me to be a really important issue where people are taking other names and purporting (to be them).
"They may be saying very interesting and funny things at the moment, but they could put something racist or pornographic on there at any time."
He has asked for a way to allow the victims of impersonation to label what accounts are bogus.
The Commons leader, Sir George Young, said the issue would be discussed before the Parliament broke up for summer.