Lawsuit: Twitter helped Saudi Arabia crack down on dissent

SAUDI ARABIA IS REPORTEDLY USING ELON MUSK’S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO PROSECUTE PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR DISSENT OVER THE GOVERNMENT – USING TWEETS AS EVIDENCE TO SENTENCE SOME CITIZENS TO DEATH.

A LAWSUIT FILED EARLIER THIS YEAR AGAINST TWITTER ALLEGES THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE HAS A **HISTORY OF **HELPING THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT SEND ITS CITIZENS TO PRISON OVER ANTI-GOVERNMENT RHETORIC THEY POSTED ONLINE.

ALLEGATIONS ADDED TO THE LAWSUIT LAST WEEK –

OUTLINE TIES BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND TWITTER UNDER FORMER CEO JACK DORSEY.

THE LAWSUIT WAS FIRST FILED IN MAY.

ITS ALLEGATIONS STEM FROM INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO MUSK TAKING OVER TWITTER – NOW CALLED X.

IT WAS FILED BY “AREEJ AL-SADHAN” – THE SISTER OF A MAN WHO WAS “DISAPPEARED” BY THE GOVERNMENT AND LATER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON BASED SOLELY ON TWEETS HE MADE THAT WERE CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT.

THE LAWSUIT ACCUSES TWITTER OF HELPING THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT SPY ON AND TRACK DOWN DISSIDENTS.

IT ALLEGES TWITTER ASSISTED THE EFFORTS BY OVER-SHARING USERS PERSONAL DATA AT THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST.

WHILE TWITTER WORKS WITH GOVERNMENTS FROM CANADA, THE US, AND THE UK – THE LAWSUIT SAYS TWITTER DISCLOSES MORE DATA AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE TO SAUDI ARABIA.

AND IT DID LITTLE TO PREVENT THE INFILTRATION OF A SAUDI OPERATIVE WHO WORKED FOR TWITTER IN 2014 AND OUSTED ANTI-GOVERNMENT USERS TO OFFICIALS.

THAT OPERATIVE WAS CONVICTED BY A JURY IN 20-22 IN AN ESPIONAGE SCANDAL THAT WENT ON FOR YEARS.

IT’S UNKNOWN HOW MANY SAUDIS THE OPERATIVE TURNED IN.

THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES TWITTER HAS A BLIND SPOT FOR SAUDI ARABIA – GIVEN ITS COMPLICATED TIES TO THE WEALTHY NATION.

YEARS AGO — BEFORE MUSK’S TAKEOVER – A SAUDI PRINCE PURCHASED A MASSIVE STAKE IN THE COMPANY WHICH HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS.

TODAY – THE SAUDI PRINCE OWNS THE SECOND MOST SHARES OF TWITTER — ONLY BEHIND OWNER ELON MUSK.

THE STAKE BEING WORTH ABOUT 2 BILLION DOLLARS.

WHILE THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE SUIT STEM BACK YEARS  –

THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT IS REPORTEDLY STILL USING THE PLATFORM TO PROSECUTE ITS CITIZENS.

JUST DAYS AGO – A HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH GROUP REPORTED A MAN WAS SENTENCED TO DIE BASED ON HIS “TWEETS, RETWEETS, AND YOUTUBE ACTIVITY.”