EXCLUSIVE: Yes23 deny responsibility for URL trick redirecting users to their website

Callan Morse, Jarred Cross and Joseph Guenzler Published August 7, 2023 at 9.00pm (AWST)

The Yes23 campaign have denied responsibility for a website URL almost identical to that of the Blak Sovereign Movement which is being used to redirect visitors to the Yes23 website.

The misleading URL, blacksovereignmovement.com was registered on August 4 of this year.

The website URL was redirecting users to the Yes23 campaign's website instead of the Blak Sovereign Movement's Website, blaksovereignmovement.com, which is spelled without a 'c'.

However at 9pm WST Monday, the redirection had changed to a months old 7 News article detailing an event involving Ms Thorpe outside a Melbourne strip club.

"The campaign was not responsible for the purchase of the domain name," a Yes23 spokesperson told National Indigenous Times.

After formalising its position in July, the Movement, whose views have been elevated by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe is staunchly opposed to the Voice to Parliament whereas Yes23 is the major pro-Voice campaign body in the country.

Ms Thorpe said regardless of the person or people responsible for the misleading URL redirect, the Yes campaign should acknowledge the 'divisive' culture currently surrounding the Voice debate.

"The Yes campaign must take responsibility for their role in the divisive culture they have created around the Voice," she said.

"Whether this came from Yes23 or their supporters, it is consistent with the way they have silenced the Blak Sovereign Movement and all First Peoples who don't support their agenda.

"There is a reason the Yes Campaign have gone to such lengths to hide (the Blak Sovereign Movement website) from the public. The website holds a response to the Voice that is founded in Truth and amplifies the sentiments of First Peoples right across the country.

"Members of the Blak Sovereign Movement are busy fighting to protect Country, to stop our babies being stolen, to stop our people being tortured and dying in prison, and fighting for Treaty. We don't have time for the Yes Campaign's referendum games and we won't be silenced by their bullying and intimidation."

The URL is registered to NAMECHEAP INC, with many of the website's details redacted or missing and the URL's host city listed as the Icelandic Capital of Reykjavik.

Further investigation by the National Indigenous Times has determined the domain of the URL redirection is being hosted by a Canberra-based Telstra customer.

A total of 88 URLs, all of which begin with 'blacksovereignmovement.com' redirect to a Yes23 webpage.

A Yes23 spokesperson confirmed to the National Indigenous Times that the campaign is not responsible for the purchasing of any domains beginning with 'blacksovereignmovement.com'.

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National Indigenous Times

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