Officials with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are investigating a breach of two of its main Twitter accounts that led to dozens of vulgar tweets being posted.
The posts began to appear on the @WMATA Twitter account around 3 a.m., and the profile name was changed to “the bus police.” Officials were able to gain control hours later, removing the tweets and adding a disclaimer to its bio that posts are “monitored 7a-7p, Mon-Fri” — implying the account was not under official capacity when the incident occurred.
“We are aware that Metro’s Twitter accounts @WMATA @MetrorailInfo were hacked and obscene posts were made that do not represent Metro’s organization or culture,” the agency said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The posts are being removed, and our accounts secured. We are working to understand who may be responsible for this breach.”
The short-lived posts caught the attention of several Washington residents, with some finding them humorous. However, many used vulgar and obscene language, including the N-word on some, prompting concern among several others.
It’s unclear whether the hacker has any connection to the transit agency.
This story is developing and will be updated.
