SOCIAL media platform Bluesky has been forced to fix an "inaccurate" claim it made about Nigel Farage.
The Electoral Commission has condemned Bluesky after it wrongly claimed that Farage had won the Clacton by-election, hours before polls closed.
The Clacton by-election is being held on Thursday, after the Reform UK leader quit as an MP to force a contest in protest at media and parliamentary scrutiny of donations from his backers.
Polls opened at 7am on Thursday and will close at 10pm.
But on Thursday morning, the "trending" section on Bluesky incorrectly claimed that Farage had already won the by-election.
The topic was headlined as "Farage wins Clacton seat", with a subheading below mentioning that "Count Binface also stood".
It also points towards Reform UK's biggest donor, crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, facing scrutiny over his links to the Kremlin.
The incorrect claim was visible on the social media platform for a number of hours before it was eventually changed.
The trending topic now reads: "Polls open in Clacton by-election".
Users were left furious over the error, with some questioning whether it constitutes a breach of electoral law.
The media are subject to strict rules regarding what can be published on the day of an election.
The Electoral Commission – the independent body which oversees UK elections and political finance – said it had contacted Bluesky to ask the platform to correct the error.
A spokesperson said the commission asks for content to be removed from platforms when it raises "serious concerns".
The spokesperson told The National: "The Commission is aware of this issue and contacted Bluesky earlier today to rectify it. We understand the trending section has now been updated to correct an error that displayed inaccurate information about the by-election.
"We closely monitor social media activity during elections for election-related threats, such as inaccurate polling-day information that could mislead voters about the electoral process.
"Where content raises serious concerns, we will request removal from platforms."
The National has approached Bluesky for comment.
