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‘You’re in Charge of Nukes?’ US Energy Secretary Falls for Instagram Hoax

© AP Photo / Rainier EhrhardtTexas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Freedom Summit, Saturday, May 9, 2015, in Greenville, S.C
Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Freedom Summit, Saturday, May 9, 2015, in Greenville, S.C - Sputnik International
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US Energy Secretary Rick Perry joined the ranks of the several public figures who recently fell for a previously debunked social media hoax that is reminiscent of chain mail.

In an effort that he believed would maintain his privacy, Perry, the former Texas governor and “Dancing with the Stars” season 23 contestant, reposted a fake privacy policy advisory that stated that he does not give the social media site Instagram (or “any entities associated with Instagram”) permission to use his posted content.

“With this statement, I give notice to Instagram that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information.”

The Tuesday PSA was accompanied by the caption “Feel free to repost!! #nothanksinstagram.”

Not only did Perry post this to his personal Instagram and Twitter accounts (@governorperry), but the energy secretary also posted it to his official Trump administration profile (@secretaryperry).

For some reason, he has yet to delete the now-broken link to the aforementioned Instagram post, leaving the door open for netizens to voice their opinions about the hoax.

The chain post hoax has been seen on sites like Facebook and Instagram since around 2012, and multiple statements have been made by Facebook clarifying its legality.

“Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms,” claimed the social media site back in November 2012.

In a series of posts Tuesday night, journalist Taylor Lorenz pointed out that a number of celebrities, including Julia Robers, Debra Messing, Waka Flocka Flame and Taraji P. Henson, fell for the hoax.

Having since deleted the hoax from his social media accounts, Perry attempted to save face Wednesday afternoon with a lighthearted Instagram post mocking himself.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GovernorPerry (@governorperry) on

No apology or other clarification was issued by Perry, the second “Dancing with the Stars” contestant eliminated in season 23.

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