It seems that a miscommunication in a Brazilian magazine article has managed to set Twitter alight with inaccurate stories that Zynga were hoarding 50% of the proceeds from their Haiti earthquake relief efforts (an in-game Farmville item) after promising to donate 100%

What really happened? There was a campaign by the social gaming company before the devastating eartquake last month to raise money for farmers in the country where 50% of the proceeds of an in-game item would be turned over to a charity serving the region. The company's later campaign, after the earthquake hit, was the one where 100% of the proceeds would be donated, and the company (as well as other sources), have confirmed this to be so.

Twitter's ability to spread information quickly is it's oft-spoken selling point, but sometimes (and we're surprised it's not more often in fairness) it can get things wrong, and when it does, then boy does it have an effect.

Zynga were in the right completely on this, and it's a shame that the web can explode in this manner which could make the company think twice about philanthropic efforts in the future.

[Giga Om]