Last night, I was informed that there was a new Twitter Account, "Karenwcouncil", that had begun to tweet information about Redland City Council which could make others believe that it is me. This illustrates some of the dangers of social media and I would like to caution any of my genuine "followers" or "friends" to always be careful and cautious of the potential risk of identity fraud on social media. For anyone interested in following the Real ME on Twitter, my username is CrKarenWilliams.
This "fraudster" is already following a number of my "followers" and I recommend that you block their tweets unless they are willing to disclose their true identity. I have already sought advice from the administrators of Twitter and the police in relation to any offences that may have been committed.
I assure you that whenever I write, post, or tweet, I have the integrity to ALWAYS use my real name, and include a photograph where possible. Why? - because I believe in transparency and I write what I believe is factual and worthy of an identity.
Clearly this impersonator is closely related to someone within Council and people should question why someone in this position would need to lower themselves to such a level in an attempt to discredit me or others who may use these networks.
This debate about the use of pseudonyms or nom de plume in social media has been recently debated on the Bayside Bulletin blog where, in some instances, defamatory remarks about me and others crossed the line of acceptable standards. To the Bayside Bulletin's credit, those remarks were removed. See link @ Bayside Bulletin.
I will continue to use these networks to ensure that people have genuine access to my values and beliefs as a representative, and to information that will assist us to make better decisions for the future of Redland City.
