Britney Spears Is Dead, Says Hacked Sony Twitter Account

The internet is full of hoaxes, lies, and false news that appear on social media sites and search engines on a daily basis. Usually, such things are fairly easy to recognize, largely because most of them are coming from obscure sources. However, when a legitimate Twitter account of a company like Sony Music Global announces that Britney Spears died, it’s only natural that there are those who would take it seriously. As is all too common these days, however, this was only a result of a hack.

On Monday, Sony Music Global’s official Twitter account sent out a Tweet that read "RIP @britneyspears #RIPBritney 1981-2016," then following that up with "Britney spears is dead by accident! We will tell you more soon #RIPBritney." Naturally, the news was fake and the post was quickly taken down, CNN reports. However, this does show that hackers are still out there, ready to make a scene whenever they can.

Spears’ side also moved fast to dispel the misinformation, telling the publication that the international pop star was indeed still alive. Adam Leber, the singer’s manager assumed correctly that the account, like so many others like it, was hacked.

"I haven't spoken to anyone... as of yet but I am certain their account was hacked,” Leber told CNN. “Britney is fine and well. There have been a few Internet clowns over the years who have made similar claims about her death, but never from the official Sony Music Twitter account."

Sony Music Global also sent out a Tweet indicating that they found an unfamiliar IP, which logged into their account, CBS News reports. The post included the hashtag #OurMine, which indicates that the notorious hacker group is suspected to have been behind the incident. This is the group’s latest attempt at drumming up business following its hack of several Twitter accounts of the Marvel franchise.