Counterintelligence 2.0... when the insider threat is in an external company that has your digital life in its servers. https://t.co/laf9jAyL4D

— Veli-Pekka Kivimäki (@vpkivimaki) November 6, 2019

“A complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco detailed a coordinated effort by Saudi government officials to recruit employees at the social media giant to look up the private data of thousands of Twitter accounts.”https://t.co/9WO6UohtOB

— Amy Siskind ?️‍? (@Amy_Siskind) November 6, 2019

I just gave a talk at @oredev about how our platforms are killing people and perhaps I added a layer of indirection that I needn’t have https://t.co/HaezMMIQ7x

— Generic Soy Milk (@EmilyGorcenski) November 6, 2019

Periodic reminder that all it takes is to compromise a single individual, or a small handfull of people within an organization to undermine the safety and security of their users. https://t.co/TOO0rM9TAI

— Jeremy Tregunna ? (@jtregunna) November 6, 2019

This just broke: https://t.co/485waZMzBz Not saying it’s related, but we’ve had several Saudi refugees and dissidents on our @SecularJihadist show. The account was suspended, appeal rejected, and then strangely restored just hours later. @ArminNavabi

— Ali A. Rizvi (@aliamjadrizvi) November 6, 2019

This is highly significant. Two Twitter employees were arrested by the DOJ for supplying private information to the ‘bone saw crew’ in the Saudi gov’t about dissidents which put their lives in danger. The US should throw the book at these creeps. No mercy. https://t.co/54DpjtcSrR

— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) November 7, 2019

Many things about this story should trouble you -- but overall it should remind you that social media is the greatest intelligence collection tool there is. https://t.co/e2D2dItaEc

— Molly McKew (@MollyMcKew) November 7, 2019

1) This is a huge deal.
2) Lots of tech employees have access to data and families back home.
3) All big tech companies need internal monitoring and hunting teams.
4) KSA wouldn't be at the top of my list of high-risk countries with lots of citizens in SV. There will be more. https://t.co/flZYxWuOqF

— Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) November 6, 2019

Since Jamal Khashoggi's murder. my team's work was mostly focused on Jamal's vision, which was to reclaim the Arab public sphere. It just happens that the Arab public sphere was... Twitter. Here's a quick thread: https://t.co/yyQXqQETBX

— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) November 7, 2019

Not clear in this story:

- What were these guys’ job titles?
- Did an employee accessing 6,000 Twitter accounts set off any internal alarms? https://t.co/Xsk8uQOBTY

— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) November 6, 2019

1. The Saudi dictatorship reportedly infiltrated Twitter to get data on its critics.

2. The head of the Saudi dictator MBS's charity @MiskKSA @MiskGlobalForum was the point of contact for Saudi spies at @Twitter.

3. FYI: The @UN has partnered with Misk.https://t.co/BSB7COd5O6

— Sunjeev Bery (@SunjeevBery) November 6, 2019

We had heard there were moles inside Twitter for KSA. Two former employees have now been charged. The trust crisis in big tech gets worse by the day. https://t.co/BOpBF7D4yF

— David Carroll ? (@profcarroll) November 6, 2019

Twitter’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa HQ is in Dublin. Ireland is a critical node in the global network for information and cyber dominance. Our state will be contested space for powerful actors in the future of warfare, and it’s entirely undefended. https://t.co/jTyyA3nS6Z

— Defence Ireland (@DefenceIreland) November 7, 2019

#BREAKING Ahmad Abouammo, arrested, is a US citizen

Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi National

They allegedly accessed private information of thousands of accounts for the Saudis; were rewarded with tens of thousands of dollars funneled into secret bank accounts https://t.co/W30ECYFMg4

— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) November 6, 2019

When interviewed by an FBI agent in his home in October 2018, Abouammo allegedly created a fake invoice for $100,00 using his personal computer in an adjoining room, and then emailed the undated document to the FBI

— Greg Bensinger (@GregBensinger) November 6, 2019

Judging from when it happened, this case is likely connected to this: https://t.co/tqQVj66qqe

— Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (@lorenzofb) November 6, 2019

Something I've said to security audiences:

"We are all pretty good at technical infosec defense; the big tech companies are at least in the same league as state attackers. We are children when it comes to human intelligence."

— Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) November 6, 2019

We won't spy on you for the Saudi royal family, that's the Mastodon guarantee™️ https://t.co/tLg37MOmvF

— Mastodon (@MastodonProject) November 6, 2019

One of the toughest security problems for the big tech companies is having moles of foreign intelligence agencies planted to work in your organization. https://t.co/lsOb3cGe1o

— @mikko (@mikko) November 7, 2019

cc: people who think social media companies should require users to provide their real identities https://t.co/0aVDXsf7PF

— Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) November 6, 2019

The Saudis have made dozens of big, important and positive economic and social reforms in recent years — but spying on private citizens by gaining access to their social media account information, if proven true, is illegal and completely unacceptable. https://t.co/gAiOVdYRdQ

— Joel C. Rosenberg (@JoelCRosenberg) November 7, 2019

WHOA: Two former Twitter employees have been charged by the DOJ with spying for Saudi Arabia by digging into critics of the royal family.

One is accused of accessing personal info of more than 6,000 Twitter accounts in 2015 on behalf of Saudi Arabia. https://t.co/SzysiqNlLu

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 6, 2019

I’m gonna bet this happens at so many companies at a clip we’ll never be able to keep up with and it’s terrifying. https://t.co/czL6L12T5f

— drew olanoff (@yoda) November 7, 2019

Read the criminal complaint involving former Twitter employees - The Washington Post https://t.co/8nSC88jtXg

— Harry the Greek (@thaaak) November 7, 2019

Finally getting around to reading the Twitter/KSA complaint. So many highlights, but these are my favorites https://t.co/PuJjyHYQOb pic.twitter.com/HwVoyJ20hs

— William Turton (@WilliamTurton) November 7, 2019

The criminal complaint is here: https://t.co/Ujo3hqCzcG

— Laura Walker ??? ??????? (@LauraWalkerKC) November 6, 2019

The complaint raises concerns about whether Twitter is doing enough to safeguard the info of users critical of authoritarian regimes. It also sheds light on info Twitter has access to, including user activity logs, emails & phone numbers, reports @QWongSJ https://t.co/DsgFxgpJh3

— Connie Guglielmo (@techledes) November 7, 2019

Ex-Twitter employees accused of spying for Saudi Arabia https://t.co/DlWQsrU9Tf

— Nasidi Adamu Yahaya (@Nasidi_Kura) November 7, 2019

Ex-Twitter employees accused of spying for Saudi Arabia https://t.co/yQSTUMhnNs

— BBC North America (@BBCNorthAmerica) November 6, 2019

#Twitter employees spying on users by handing over private info to #Saudis?? What about #Facebook? Google? Instagram? all the others? https://t.co/Z7BkCTWYYB pic.twitter.com/iweM8aV1dB

— Diane Francis (@dianefrancis1) November 7, 2019

This is how desperate govts get with state critics. #SaudiArabia

Kenya's govt tried this even going so far as trying to intimidate Twitter employees in Kenya. Twitter simply shut offices & left Kenya. #GoebbelsItumbi #citizenspyinghttps://t.co/o1ZzvrE8dV

— Anonymous Kenya (@Anon1KENYA) November 7, 2019

BBC News - Ex-Twitter employees accused of spying for Saudi Arabia https://t.co/ikL552KBrX

I think Twitter is a safety valve like Indian National Congress was alleged to be, created to keep us occupied while they go on doing what they do best. What were they doing for Saudi ?

— Yᴀꜱʜ Rᴀᴊ Sɪɴɢʜ (@singh_raj_yash) November 7, 2019

Ex-Twitter employees accused of spying for Saudi Arabia.
I fucking double dare #Twitter to remain silent on this one! #TwitterBias#ThursdayMorning https://t.co/JNlpDUewry

— GrumpyAlpaca (@ElsKarls) November 7, 2019

Twitter Employees Spied for Saudis

Remember 5 Eyeshttps://t.co/spalSvV47T

— Rocks (@Rochi76313371) November 7, 2019

US charges former Twitter staff for spying for Saudi https://t.co/TuhfAIOvrE

— Financial Times (@FT) November 7, 2019

Two former Twitter employees spied on thousands of users of the social media platform for the Saudi government as it sought to crack down on dissidents, the US Department of Justice alleged https://t.co/ZUHWnKcq9u

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) November 7, 2019

Federal prosecutors accused two former Twitter employees of spying on thousands of users as part of a Saudi crackdown on dissidents https://t.co/2FB4pJ16wK

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) November 7, 2019

US charges former Twitter staff with spying for Saudi Arabia https://t.co/N4HdpfxJ56 via @financialtimes?

— ☀️ Emre Sokullu (@EmreSokullu) November 7, 2019

@RiCHi - The US #DOJ accuses #SaudiArabia of paying @Twitter staff members to spy on dissidents, including Jamal #Khashoggi. (FYI: Jamal Khashoggi and Dodi Fayed, killed along with Princess Diana, were first cousins.) https://t.co/HlGBxS6ZMW

— Michael Osterman (@mosterman) November 7, 2019

?@TheJusticeDept says two ex-employees of @Twitter were paid by the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia to steal user data.

Twitter’s response is, frankly, obfuscatory. In today’s #SBBlogwatch at @SecurityBlvd, @RiCHi ponders the sorry state of the world: https://t.co/mXKgOJtTW1

— @Richi Jennings (@RiCHi) November 7, 2019

Are other foreign govs collecting data on political dissidents through tech platforms? Or using websites to spy on US intel officials?

This story shows it’s possible. Big Tech’s failure to safeguard user data is a privacy violation & nat sec nightmarehttps://t.co/uy1CpnZnTA

— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) November 7, 2019

U.S. Charges Former Twitter Employees With Spying For Saudi Arabia#TruthExposed
In our own sphere

Justice Dept says 2 former Employees, Ahmad Abouammo and Ali Alzabarah accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal familyhttps://t.co/R2rKrhZLXk

— abbeludwig #TeamPelosi ??✌ (@abbeludwig) November 7, 2019

Justice Department says two former Twitter employees accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal family https://t.co/7gTQ2xNUTe

— Rick Tyler (@rickwtyler) November 6, 2019

Justice Department says two former Twitter employees accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal family https://t.co/E9Qs1KK8z4

— Not Exonerated ? (@equalandallied1) November 6, 2019

#ThursdayMotivation The Apprentice
U.S. Charges Former Twitter Employees With Spying for Saudi Arabia, Saudi Prince owns more in @Twitter stock than @jack
https://t.co/KF2v1mzVHb

— Herman Munster (@HermanM36169986) November 7, 2019

Shocker: U.S. Charges Former Twitter Employees With Spying for Saudi Arabia - WSJ https://t.co/KntBfQe718

— Rich Valdes ?? (@RichValdes) November 7, 2019

Justice Department says two former Twitter employees accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal family https://t.co/bQPUsSa6qx @WSJさんから

— Kazuto Suzuki (@KS_1013) November 7, 2019

Get @jack Dorsey on Capitol Hill. Also ask him why the insane permissions on twitter accounts to ⁦@tiktok_us⁩
Justice Department says two former Twitter employees accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal family https://t.co/H1gFvnzBU7

— David C Lowery (@davidclowery) November 7, 2019

Justice Department says two former @Twitter employees accessed information about people who made posts critical of the Saudi royal family https://t.co/8R4hzGgyjF

— Melissa Hanham (@mhanham) November 7, 2019

#BREAKING Ahmad Abouammo, arrested, is a US citizen

Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi National

They allegedly accessed private information of thousands of accounts for the Saudis; were rewarded with tens of thousands of dollars funneled into secret bank accounts https://t.co/W30ECYFMg4

— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) November 6, 2019

Two former @Twitter employees have been charged with spying after they reportedly obtained personal account information for critics of the government of #SaudiArabia.

Something for #ExMuslims to be wary of.https://t.co/88FhGs2eC6

— Zara Kay (@zarakayk) November 7, 2019

Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia - A complaint unsealed Wed in San Francisco detailed a coordinated effort by Saudi officials to recruit two Twitter employees to look up the private data of thousands of govt critics, by @kari_paulhttps://t.co/yjBXeTjsMu

— Wendy Siegelman (@WendySiegelman) November 7, 2019

"A coordinated effort by Saudi officials to recruit employees at the social media giant to look up the private data of thousands of Twitter accounts."https://t.co/N2vwOONpCR

— Alex Shams (@seyyedreza) November 7, 2019

サウジアラビア政府がtwitter社従業員を買収、サウジに批判的なジャーナリストの情報を吸い上げていた。その中にはサウジ大使館で殺害されたカショギ氏に近い人物も含まれている。E.スノーデンの"みんな監視されてるぞ"て、警告通りだ。https://t.co/B5XsANi0JQ

— セキ ヤスヒサ?️ (@Campaign_Otaku) November 7, 2019

Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia | Twitter | The Guardian https://t.co/8JaICSYf71

— Ian Cobain (@IanCobain) November 7, 2019

サウジアラビア政府の役人がTwitterの従業員を買収し、スパイ行為を行わせていた。https://t.co/saY4FPZSi2

— 非一般ニュースは2回もアカウント凍結 (@tkFiMNaoKWQeSMi) November 7, 2019

Twitter employees charged with spying for Saudi Arabia https://t.co/DdR0iBvGyH

— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) November 6, 2019