In a uncommon case of Twitter drama unrelated to its owner, a former worker convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia received a three-and-a-half-year sentence on Wednesday. Ahmad Abouammo was discovered responsible in August of taking bribes from an aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In return, he allegedly provided delicate account information that might assist observe and silence dissidents.
Abouammo, a US resident born in Egypt, obtained about half of the greater than seven years prosecutors sought. The previous Twitter media partnership supervisor mentioned he was solely doing his job, however proof revealed that he obtained $300,000 and a $20,000 Hublot watch from bin Salman’s aide. A Twitter whistleblower prompt in late August that the scandal mirrored a broader follow of lax knowledge safety on the firm.
Two different males had been charged within the scheme. Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi citizen, is one other former Twitter worker who prosecutors say acquired private information for over 6,000 accounts, together with that of high-profile dissident (and Jamal Khashoggi ally) Omar Abdulaziz. A 3rd man, Ahmed Almutairi, was additionally charged however did not work at Twitter. As an alternative, he allegedly served as a contact between Twitter staffers and the Saudi authorities. Of the three, solely Abouammo was within the US to face prices.
