Hackers hijack ISIS Twitter accounts following Orlando massacre
A number of Twitter accounts belonging to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) have been hijacked.
A hacker known as WauchulaGhost has taken over a number of pro-ISIS Twitter accounts – linking them to gay porn sites and covering them in rainbow flags.
The hacker – who is affiliated with Anonymous – first began hijacking the accounts months ago, but has stepped up his efforts following the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub on Sunday.
In that time, he has taken control of over 200 Twitter accounts belonging to ISIS supporters.
The hackers have used the hijacked accounts to replace militant, hateful ISIS – also known as Daesh – propaganda with rainbow flags, pro-LGBT messages and links to same-sex pornography.
Messages posted to the compromised accounts include “I’m gay and proud” and “Out and proud.”
However, the hacker says his efforts are not aimed at the Muslim population as a whole – only the few “Jihadist extremists” that operate on the site.
“I did it for the lives lost in Orlando. Daesh [ISIS] have been spreading and praising the attack, so I thought I would defend those that were lost,” he told NewsWeek.
“The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated.”
In the wake of the mass shooting, American Muslim leaders have warned ISIS that they do not speak for their community.
Nihad Awad, speaking for the Council on American-Islamic Relations told reporters that the shooting was “a hate crime, plain and simple.”
Since the attack, the organisation has urged the Muslim community to donate blood after a shortage due to the high number of victims.
50 people were killed and 53 injured in the hate crime, which saw a gunman open fire inside The Pulse gay bar.
ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the attack, which was perpetrated by US citizen Omar Mateen.
