Twitter, now known as X, faces allegations in a revised civil lawsuit in the United States of aiding Saudi Arabia in committing serious human rights violations against its users. The lawsuit claims that Twitter disclosed confidential user data to Saudi authorities at a much higher rate than it did for countries such as the US, UK, or Canada.
The lawsuit was initially filed in May by Areej al-Sadhan, the sister of a Saudi aid worker who was forcibly disappeared and later sentenced to 20 years in prison. The case revolves around the infiltration of Twitter by three Saudi agents, two of whom posed as Twitter employees in 2014 and 2015. This infiltration ultimately led to the arrest of al-Sadhan’s brother, Abdulrahman, and the exposure of the identities of thousands of anonymous Twitter users, some of whom were reportedly detained and subjected to torture as part of the government’s crackdown on dissent.
Lawyers for al-Sadhan have updated their claim to include new allegations that Twitter, under the leadership of then-CEO Jack Dorsey, ignored or had knowledge of the Saudi government’s efforts to target critics but provided assistance to the kingdom due to financial considerations and close ties with Saudi government investors.
The lawsuit also outlines how Twitter, previously seen as a tool for democratic movements during the Arab Spring, became a source of concern for the Saudi government as early as 2013.
This legal action comes after Human Rights Watch criticized a Saudi court for sentencing a man to death based solely on his Twitter and YouTube activity. The convicted man, Muhammad al-Ghamdi, had only a small following on his accounts and had retweeted government critics.
The lawsuit alleges that Twitter was aware of the Saudi government’s campaign to identify dissidents and provided assistance, even after being made aware of FBI concerns about Saudi infiltration of the company. Twitter continued to meet and strategize with Saudi Arabia as a crucial regional partner, including discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The lawsuit claims that Twitter’s failure to provide specific information about data breaches put users at risk and that some could have taken steps to protect themselves had they been informed. Ultimately, Areej al-Sadhan hopes for her brother’s release and their reunion with their family in the United States.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
