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back to article Sky News election petition defaced by prankster hackers

Computer hackers with a grudge made merry at the expense of Rupert Murdoch after infiltrating the Sky News website. The scamps tampered with a petition in support of Sky's campaign to stage a debate between the leaders of Britain's main political parties in the run-up to the next general election. A picture of Brown, Cameron …

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  1. Richard 81

    Hmm

    While I think the idea of a public debate, like those done in the US is a good idea, it shouldn't be left to sky. Not everyone has Sky News after all.

    Although, I suppose an argument against a debate between individuals, is that we don't actually get to vote for the chaps directly.

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  2. Da Weezil

    Popular demand?

    hmmm 9000 signed up huh? That certainly is a groundswell of popular opinion when weighed against the total population entitled to vote. The only truthful fact about the next Government is the ordinary citizen will again be screwed in every way possible.... why waste time on a debate?

    Id be more interested to see the leaders hooked up to a high voltage lie detector - now THAT would be worth watching.. but an ego stroking US style debate? Forget it...

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  3. dunncha
    Thumb Up

    I wanna see them fight!!

    FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! Ohhhhhh Good punch... FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!!

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  4. The First Dave
    Flame

    Waste of time

    None of our major politicians can remeber what it is they actually believe in, which is radically different from what their respective parties tell them they should believe in, which in turn is radically different from what they will even _try_ to deliver, (if elected.)

    <- Burn them all, and Murdoch too.

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  5. sandman

    Stupid idea?

    Nice defacing work (no real damage and quite funny).

    Does anyone else think the whole leader debate thing is possibly counter-productive? Without wishing to cast aspersions on anyone, do we want the best-looking and superficially glib person with the best soundbites and putdowns or would we prefer to choose a future government on its policies and sod the cult of the personality?

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  6. Jon Gibbins
    Thumb Up

    Hehehe...

    Did anyone get any screenshots?

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Huh?

    "The scheme is designed to help British voters to become more engaged in the political process,"

    Not at all to do with boosting publicity for a rubbish company then?

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  8. Winkypop Silver badge
    Megaphone

    Rupert Murdoch + Agenda

    Surely there's some mistake!!

    Bloody Murdoch's have been trying to influence world affairs for decades.

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  9. Karl Lattimer

    WOW! The numbers

    So 9000 people want a live leaders debate,

    70,000 want the PM to go... http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/

    I don't think these numbers are convincing enough...

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  10. Adam Doran
    WTF?

    Apache bugs from 2016

    Is it just me or is anyone else seeing the published date for the Telegraph article as:

    By Lucy Cockcroft

    Published: 6:00AM BST 11 Jun 2016

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/6170954/Sky-News-website-sabotaged-by-hacker-with-a-grudge-against-Rupert-Murdoch.html

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Call me cynical....

    "The scheme is designed to help British voters to become more engaged in the political process, following the expenses scandal earlier this year and steadily declining turn-out numbers for years."

    Not so Murdoch can sell ad space in between the moronic ramblings from Broon, Cameroon and the other one, then?!

    Politicians in TV debates, just like the US! Altogether with with New Model Army...."This is the...51st State of America! Yeah, yeah, yeah! 51st State..."

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  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Yes

    Absolute quality. And the best is that the guy / girl was perfectly right in all his / her points.

    I hope that story lands on BBC, including the points. That would be a perfect eye opener.

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  13. TeeCee Gold badge
    FAIL

    Perspective?

    ".....more than 9,000 people signed up to it. The case for a debate remains undiminished."

    Er, what's the size of the electorate again? I can't quite see how the case could quite get more diminished than that. 9000 signatures doesn't even get 'em up to "meh" in the interest stakes.

    FFS. If they got the Official Monster Raving Loony party to call for a debate they'd have way more of a case than that.

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  14. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Hacked? or was it?

    Some more cynical members of the great unwashed might think that the hack never actually happended, and it was just a cynical PR stunt by Murdoch to get press cover.

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  15. Sebastian Brosig

    picture

    the exploit screen grab is not showing in my browser... Gone?

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  16. Gerard Krupa

    The scheme

    "The scheme is designed to help British voters to become more engaged in the political process, following the expenses scandal earlier this year and steadily declining turn-out numbers for years."

    No, it's a scheme to help news Corporation increase their already year-after-year record breaking advertising revenue while still insisting that they need to raise subscription prices to cover the cost of R&D.

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  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OMG! Over 9000!!!

    Lolwut?

    (para 6, natch)

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  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hacked? or was it?

    Doubtful.

    I don't think the ancient great communicator the Aussie-turned-American Murdoch is quite so gaga as to let point 1 - "It smacks of Murdoch pushing an agenda, again " get by.

    Of course there could be an element of an inside job - hacks being notoriously hard done by press barons and their editorial lapdogs.

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  19. Elmer Phud
    FAIL

    Mu(r)d slinging

    Ain't it wonderful when the country's main politicians are supposed to be at the beck and call of an ex-Aussie who turned Septic just to buy a newspaper.

    They should have told him to sod off rather than grovel.

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  20. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    RE: Call me cynical....

    More like so Mr Murdoch can control the agenda of the next UK election, as the person with the power is the person deciding which questions are asked and which are not.

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  21. Martin Nicholls
    Gates Halo

    Balance, fairness and bullshit

    Yeah please lets have sky doing this, it's not like there's a right-leaning streak with rupert murdoch or anything. Come on.

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  22. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Bloody brilliant idea.

    I'm all for a TV debate between the leaders of all the major political parties, especially on a digital platform.

    Just need to get a petition up on the Sky website now to persuade them to have the red button interactive services wired to cattle prods.

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  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I would prefer

    Celebrity Deathmatch - Westminster Edition

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  24. EnricoSuarve
    Megaphone

    I've a better idea

    Way more entertaining - just keep chanting

    "Three men enter, one man leaves

    Three men enter, one man leaves

    Three men enter, one man leaves"

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  25. Steven 29
    Stop

    ... indeed

    Archived video's of the leaders debating all issues in the House of Commons are publicly available and have been presented by the bbc (TV and Radio) for decades

    This is nothing new ...

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