The website for the Selective Service System crashed Friday morning because of the “spread of misinformation.”
The agency responsible for maintaining information on those eligible to be drafted apparently crashed shortly after Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed in a drone strike Thursday evening.
Due to the spread of misinformation, our website is experiencing high traffic volumes at this time. If you are attempting to register or verify registration, please check back later today as we are working to resolve this issue. We appreciate your patience.
— Selective Service (@SSS_gov) January 3, 2020
According to CNN, the event sparked concern on social media that a draft would return if Iran and the U.S. entered a conflict.
The Selective Service System assured people on Twitter that if the draft were necessary, it would require both Congress and presidential approval.
The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual. In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft. pic.twitter.com/M4tY2dLoX1
— Selective Service (@SSS_gov) January 3, 2020
The website was still running slowly Friday afternoon according to The Washington Examiner. Searches for “Selective Service” and “U.S. Draft” reportedly spiked following the drone strike.
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