A Twitter account using the Cyrillic-alphabet is using the #Saanich hashtag to advertise a website promoting sexual encounters with older women.

Twitter users employ hashtags to categorize tweets, follow ongoing conversations and search for posts.

The account B次元官网网址� which also uses the name of cities and states in countries around the world including Germany, the United States, and India B次元官网网址� features nude and non-nude images of women of various ethnicities promoting casual hook-ups.

The District of Saanich, individuals, businesses and organizations including the Saanich B次元官网网址 use #Saanich to promote themselves, and the account in question appears to have hijacked the hashtag. According to a 2016 paper published by scholars at Michigan Stage University, hashtag hijacking B次元官网网址渙ccurs when a group of users starts using a trending hashtag to promote a topic that is substantially different from its recent context.B次元官网网址�

Kelsie McLeod, a spokesperson for the District of Saanich, said the municipality is aware of the problem, adding #Saanich is one of several hashtags used by many members of the community, local businesses and media outlets.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to note that Saanich has no ownership or direct control of #Saanich or the content posted there B次元官网网址� we only control content posted from our account,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗owever, Saanich is aware of a few cases where inappropriate content has been posted using this hashtag by individuals not associated with the district. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for content like this to randomly appear on frequently used hashtags on social media [including] #yyj.B次元官网网址�

Salacious images have also appeared under the hashtag #Victoria.

Saanich has taken a B次元官网网址減roactiveB次元官网网址� approach, reporting offensive posts to Twitter for follow-up as per TwitterB次元官网网址檚 policies and procedures, said McLeod. B次元官网网址淲e encourage members of the community to use social media responsibly and report any content they deem to be inappropriate to the relevant social media company.B次元官网网址�

McLeod added Twitter has various tools to help individuals manage what shows up in their personal feeds, including blocking problem accounts and reporting offensive material.

B次元官网网址淪aanich also encourages community members to report any content that may be criminal in nature to their local police agency,B次元官网网址� she said.

Catherine Holt, chief executive officer of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said hashtag hijacking belongs to a list of techniques, with which B次元官网网址渦nscrupulous individualsB次元官网网址� seek to damage and besmirch the online reputation of businesses and others.

For all of the advantages that technology offers in promoting business, it can also cause considerable harm, she said. Twitter is no different. B次元官网网址淎nybody who uses Twitter has to be aware that it is the wild west of communication,B次元官网网址� she said.

Businesses subject to techniques such as hashtag hijacking, phishing and denial of service attacks should immediately seek professional help when it comes to managing their online reputation, she said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 absolutely something that businesses have to be vigilant about,B次元官网网址� said Holt.