Twitter, a leading Internet microblogging site, has been a key way for protestors against the disputed reelection of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to make their voices heard around the world amid a media clampdown.<\/p>\n
Commentators said the move could have been a way of trying to get more people to read the messages, or tweets, from Habitat.<\/p>\n
One of the messages read: “HabitatUK: #MOUSAVI Join the database for free to win a £1,000 gift card.” Mir Hossein Mousavi was one of the defeated candidates in the poll.<\/p>\n
Habitat has now offered “a very sincere apology to any users who were offended by last week’s activity on Twitter”.<\/p>\n
“This was absolutely not authorised by Habitat,” the furniture retailer added in a statement. “We were shocked when we discovered what happened and are very sorry for the offence that has been caused.”<\/p>\n
The content has since been removed but news of the story has spread on Twitter, provoking a wave of critical comments from users.<\/p>\n
One described it as: “A great example of how not to use a real time media to promote your brand”.<\/p>\n