As Twitchy reported earlier, it was pretty easy to tell who had read The Hill’s tweet about the World Cup soccer ball Vladimir Putin gave President Trump as a gift, and who had actually clicked through to the story.
Soccer ball Putin gave Trump contains chip that can transmit data to cell phones: report https://t.co/KcobUjqkTa pic.twitter.com/DDCJaIEWTb
— The Hill (@thehill) July 25, 2018
If you read beyond the spy thriller of a tweet, you learn that the chip is standard issue in the Adidas 2018 FIFA World Cup ball, and all it does is link you to a World Cup promotion on the Adidas website if you hold your smartphone up to it. Nevertheless, the ball underwent a standard security screening, as do all gifts to the president.
Still, the tweet got activist and actor Alyssa Milano’s attention.
UMMMMMM!!!!! Soccer ball Putin gave Trump contains transmitter chip https://t.co/vcDdHHRQbc
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 25, 2018
OMG do you think he knows?! https://t.co/C4ne94VMEF
— Dan ?? (@danieltobin) July 26, 2018
OMG. Are you telling me Trump might be able to use his phone to access "different functionalities like exclusive information about the product, Adidas football content, special competitions and challenges, etc," as outlined on the Adidas web site?
Putin is truly devious. https://t.co/0j8sQrgMfJ
— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) July 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/carlodanger/status/1022243028780691456
A lot of people did not read past the title of this article.
— LunaticFringe? (@EGNIRFCITANUL) July 26, 2018
Calm down Alyssa. You have got to stop reading headlines while ignoring articles.
— Amy Paige (@apaige86) July 25, 2018
Apparently it's just a standard NFC chip that Adidas put into one of the patches.
Normally I'd be concerned but this is just clickbait.— azninsect ? (@azninsect) July 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/id6klub/status/1022235043467587585
All of those models of soccer balls have the chip. It’s an adidas function. Keep reaching for something out of nothing though.
— Aaron McBride (@razorbackaaron) July 25, 2018
I usually agree with the stance you take but this was a chip that adidas puts in that brand of soccer ball. That’s like giving someone a Hershey Kiss and being outraged at the little paper flag.
— Mike Schiffer (@MikeJSchiffer) July 25, 2018
Please don't do this people. A basic NFC chip is not some super spy transmission device. It's worthless beyond a couple of inches or so.
Be much more concerned that Trump gives out his cell number to foreign leaders and won't let his phone go through standard security checks.
— Nazo (@nazosan2) July 26, 2018
Come ON people! We cant expect her to read and stuff!
— Francesca (@TheFrancescaF) July 26, 2018
Be careful, KGB agents are hidden inside this ball ? #paranoid
— Greg (@gregzky51) July 26, 2018
It a signal to Barron, that his mother is a Russian bot and that his destiny is to become a elite member of time traveling Cosmonaut's who enter a wormhole and save the Earth from plastic straws.
— FLIPPY GUY aka MICHAEL LEE CLARKE (@love2godown21) July 25, 2018
The smoking man made Putin put the chip in it so they could track it and report back to the aliens.
— NojNothgerb (@J_Brighton) July 25, 2018
If he is working for Vlad, why would Vlad need to put a transmitter chip on the soccer ball?
— S William Higgins (@rowdyh1) July 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/AmareAloha/status/1022237940213338112
https://twitter.com/JonShelton77/status/1022254254617227264
Nothing to see here folks . . .
— Debbie Aldous, NBCT (@MrsAldous) July 25, 2018
We hope The Hill is enjoying all those retweets from The Resistance …
Related:
'You got me': The Hill's tweet about Putin's gift of a "bugged" soccer ball is prime click-bait https://t.co/CmIGaxLvKE
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 25, 2018
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