In Summary:
– Twitter, now referred to as X, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit filed in the United States.
– The lawsuit accuses X of actively aiding the Saudi government in committing severe human rights violations against its users.
– Confidential user data is alleged to have been shared with Saudi authorities at an alarming rate, surpassing that of other countries.
– The lawsuit reveals disturbing incidents involving Saudi agents infiltrating Twitter, leading to arrests and the exposure of anonymous users.
Twitter, now operating under the name X, is confronting serious allegations as a lawsuit unfolds in the United States. The lawsuit contends that X knowingly collaborated with the Saudi Arabian government in perpetrating grave human rights abuses against its users. This assistance reportedly involved sharing confidential user data with Saudi authorities at a considerably higher frequency than with other nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The lawsuit was initially instigated by Areej al-Sadhan, the sister of a Saudi aid worker who disappeared under suspicious circumstances and was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison. At its core, the lawsuit revolves around a troubling episode wherein three Saudi agents, two of whom posed as Twitter employees, infiltrated the company in 2014 and 2015. This infiltration ultimately led to the arrest of Areej al-Sadhan’s brother, Abdulrahman, and exposed thousands of anonymous Twitter users, some of whom reportedly endured detention and torture as part of the Saudi government’s clampdown on dissent.
In this updated lawsuit, attorneys representing Areej al-Sadhan assert that, under the leadership of then-CEO Jack Dorsey, Twitter either willfully disregarded or was cognizant of the Saudi government’s efforts to target critics. The lawsuit contends that Twitter’s cooperation with Saudi Arabia was motivated by financial considerations and the desire to maintain close ties with the Saudi government, a notable investor in the company.
These legal developments arise in the wake of criticism from Human Rights Watch, which decried a Saudi court’s imposition of the death penalty on an individual based solely on their activities on Twitter and YouTube. This marked a disturbing escalation in the Saudi government’s assault on freedom of expression. According to the lawsuit, the Saudi government’s efforts to access user data commenced in December 2014 when a Twitter employee surreptitiously transmitted confidential data to Saudi officials. The lawsuit maintains that Twitter was either complicit in this action or knowingly chose to ignore it.
Despite receiving alerts about security risks associated with user data, Twitter allegedly failed to implement adequate safeguards. Moreover, the lawsuit accuses Twitter of routinely complying with the Saudi government’s requests for information, frequently responding to these requests on the same day they were submitted. The lawsuit also alleges that Twitter inadequately informed affected users following the breach, thereby placing them at risk. Even after becoming aware of the breach, Twitter continued to engage with Saudi Arabia as a key partner in the region.
In response to the lawsuit, lawyers representing Areej al-Sadhan emphasized her desire for her brother’s release from imprisonment in Saudi Arabia, allowing him to reunite with his family in the United States. They underscored the critical importance of achieving justice in his case.
[Source: India Today]
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