UK Government Advertises Fake 007 Job

The latest Bond movie has been called the best bond movie ever. Though that's a bit of a bold statement, it's hard to argue that the film wasn't very entertaining. It's also been extremely successful, grossing $790 million world-wide to become the highest-grossing film in the James Bond series.
It seems someone at Gov.uk, the UK government's digital portal, liked the film too.

The Verge reports that an ad for a 007-style agent cropped up on Direct.gov's website late last week. The ad called for a new addition to the Secret Intelligence Service. The post in question was described as a "Target Elimination Specialist" and applicants would be required to travel to foreign countries and eliminate people whose "continued existence poses a risk to the effective conduct of public order."

The ad was eventually pulled, but was available for over 24 hours before it disappeared. What isn't yet clear is how it made it onto the site in the first place. As the UK government's digital service, Gov.uk is used to provide the public with access to government services. We'll let you know if we learn anything more about how this prank was pulled off. Perhaps it was an inside job? In the meantime, you can check out a screenshot of the posting below, courtesy of the Verge.

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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.

14 Comments Comment from the forums

jacobdrj

Come on MI6, you are living in the Cold War era... Hotmail? Really?
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mrmaia

Come on, it's a lighthearted little joke. I laughed a bit.
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Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer

I prefer my martinis Churchill-style, myself...you may permit your gaze to settle on a bottle of vermouth as you pour chilled gin into the cocktail glass. Best consumed with a woman who follows the Dorothy Parker approach to martinis:

I like to have a martini,
two at the very most.
Three, I'm under the table.
Four, I'm under my host.
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Parrdacc

Well times are tough all over. Sometimes you just got to reach out any way you can.
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RADIO_ACTIVE

Can't even read it cause toms picture function is a joke...
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JMcEntegart

RADIO_ACTIVECan't even read it cause toms picture function is a joke...
Click twice to zoom! :)
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mp562

Gotta give 'em credit, even the Brits have a sense of humor.
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jacobdrj

mp562Gotta give 'em credit, even the Brits have a sense of humor.My wife would argue that the Brits' sense of humor is far superior to our own (US).

Either way, good show UK, good show indeed... ;)
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f-14

JMcEntegartClick twice to zoom!still can't read it, it's not noticeably bigger than the article picture.

to bad it's pulled i wanted to click the " tell us why you don't wish to apply" button
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JMcEntegart

f-14still can't read it, it's not noticeably bigger than the article picture.to bad it's pulled i wanted to click the " tell us why you don't wish to apply" button
Clicking once should bring you to the image and clicking a second time should open up a new window with the image in full size. If you still can't read it when it is full size, then I guess I can't help. :( Sorry.
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