According to the Wall Street Journal, a twitter user with the account name "BPGlobalPR" is posting satirical entries about the oil spill in the Gulf Coast region. Surprisingly, this user has garnered more than 30,000 followers, or twice the amount as BP America's actual Twitter account.
One example of a satirical post reads: "The good news: Mermaids are real. The bad news: They are now extinct. #bp-cares"
When a BP spokesman was asked about the fake account, he responded, "It's a shame, but obviously people are entitled to their views".
While obviously funny, the unfortunate outcome is that many readers do not know the account is fake and have become outraged after reading the facetious tweets. While BP certainly deserves to be held over the fire for their transgressions, I do not believe they should face the unnecessary scorn from ignorant Twitter readers.
Twitter has generated a mechanism to protect celebrities from being impersonated on Twitter. Shouldn't it do the same for corporations as well? I hope they find a solution soon that will protect corporations while simultaneously allowing "BPGlobalPR" to continue churning out comedic gems.
"If we had a dollar for every complaint about this oil spill, it wouldn't compare to our current fortune. Oil is a lucrative industry!"
- BPGlobalPR
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