Web creator Tim Berners-Lee has slammed the Tories and branded their 'factcheckUK' Twitter gaffe as "unbelievable".
The Tories prompted furious backlash and were accused of spreading "misinformation" after changing their Twitter account to 'factcheckUK' for the duration of the ITV leaders' debate.
Berners-Lee said the stunt was "unbelievable", adding: "That was really brazen. That was impersonation.
"I don't trust people who do that.
"It's really bad what they did - impersonating an independent organisation, it was unbelievable that they would do that."
He went on to compare the Twitter with someone impersonating a friend for the purpose of defrauding them. "What the Conservative Party has done is obviously a no no. That's amazingly blatant," Sir Tim told the BBC .
At the Tories manifesto launch, Boris squirmed as he was asked about the Twitter gaffe.
Asked if the deception undermined trust in the Conservative Party, Mr Johnson pulled a frown, shrugged his shoulders and looked around to the front row.
"I'm afraid that the Twittersphere is not really my province," he said.
Mr Johnson has 1.2 million Twitter followers and has sent 2,750 tweets since setting up his account in April 2015.
He added: "But what I can say is that I'm informed that Labour have some sort of operation which is very similar to this.
"But I, you know, I'm...I haven't followed this Twitter stuff with quite the attention that you would like.
"I will apprise myself of the detail of this."
