Jan 4, 2020 - Technology

#WWIII hashtag crashes Selective Service website after Iran strike

Orion Rummler

In this image, an army member puts on a vest — U.S. troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division await deployment to the Middle East on Jan. 4. Photo: Andrew Craft/Getty Images

The website for the Selective Service crashed Friday amid a spike in concerns over military conscription following the U.S. killing Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

Where it stands: The draft was abolished in 1973, and would require congressional and presidential authorization of official legislation, per the Selective Service. Hashtags like #WorldWarThree, #WWIII and #WorldWarThreeDraft were trending on Twitter after Soleimani was killed, per Bloomberg.

The Selective Services' web pages were loading sporadically on Saturday.

The big picture: The current Google search spike for "draft age" doesn't come close to the massive traffic hike for the same search in April 2017 — during increased tension between the U.S. and North Korea.

Go deeper... The latest: Iraqi officials say airstrike killed 5 following Soleimani's death

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#WWIII hashtag crashes Selective Service website after Iran strike

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