- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:21 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a shocking cybersecurity breach, the official X account of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was reportedly hacked and altered to appear as the handle of the Bihar government's Water Resources Department. The incident, which has raised serious concerns about the security of high-profile social media accounts, has yet to be officially addressed by the German government.
The first signs of the hack were noticed by several X users when the account’s username was changed to @adolf_gov. The description was also modified to read "Make Germany Great Again," a phrase seemingly inspired by US President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. This modification alarmed many users, especially given the sensitive historical reference. Media reports have pointed out that hackers had previously manipulated Steinmeier’s account to resemble a verified page of Adolf Hitler, the former Nazi Party leader.
The account of German President Frank-Walter #Steinmeier was hacked on X and changed to this 👇 pic.twitter.com/9tgcuJ0qG9
— Medan (@sumnjam) February 17, 2025
Following the initial discovery, several X users took to the platform to report the suspicious activity, sharing screenshots that showed the account under the name “Water Resources Department of the Government of Bihar.”
Reacting to the incident, a netizen humorously commented, "Ek Bihari sab pe Bihar," while another remarked, "India is not for beginners”.
India is literally not for beginners 😭😱...
— Aish hi Ash (@rahul_achiever) February 16, 2025
Page of GERMAN PRESIDENT changed to Bihar government 🫨 😂@FrankWalterGER pic.twitter.com/LeiTkQyaMq
From Hitler To Bihar Government
According to reports, before assuming the Bihar government identity, the hackers had already changed the account’s username and description multiple times. One iteration of the account's bio stated, “Make Germany Great Again. Decentralisation is what will help me to implement my plans,” suggesting a politically charged motive behind the attack.
The compromised account was briefly suspended following widespread reports of the hack, but it soon resurfaced under the altered identity of the Bihar Water Resources Department.
The official X account of BRICS News stated that the compromised account belonged to the German President. It also posted a screenshot showing the account before the hack, featuring the original @FrankWalterGER handle with a different caption.