Harriet Harman has been forced to change the password on her Twitter account after fake messages were sent in her name, MPs heard today.
During exchanges on Commons business, Janet Anderson (Lab, Rossendale and Darwen) called for the government to look into a collection of fake Twitter accounts in the names of MPs from the north west region.
The former minister referred to a website called "MP Tweets" which had led to constituents now believing they are "twittering and communicating" with their MP, when in fact MPs have "nothing whatsoever to do with the sites".
Harman said the security of Twitter and other social media sites widely used by MPs was a serious matter.
She said there was a "real problem here" and promised to "see what government ministers might be able to do about this".
The Commons leader that she had in fact had her own twitter account hacked into this week, without directly referring to the "bogus tweet".
But she did say: "I wouldn't ever send a Tweet like that."
Harman added: "I actually got a response to that bogus Tweet from the former shadow leader of the House who's now the shadow prisons minister."
"I've got to get back to him and tell him it wasn't from me - I wouldn't ever send a Tweet like that."
Following business question Duncan wrote on his Twitter page: "Did get a message in Harriet's name, so I sent a friendly message back by text. A bit confusing, and all in my first week on Twitter."
Duncan later said the comments made by the Commons leader "may explain the mystery" of a tweet he had received the previous day.
