Federal prosecutors are charging two former Twitter employees and another man from Saudi Arabia for spying for the Saudi government. Prosecutors accuse the men of working as foreign agents by accessing private data at the behest of Saudi Arabia.
According to NBC News, the two Twitter employees – 35-year-old Ali Alzabarah and 41-year-old Ahmad Abouammo– were rewarded with thousands in cash and gifts like an expensive watch. One of the men is under arrest in Seattle, but the other two are in Saudi Arabia.
So what are they accused of doing exactly? Officials say the Saudis convinced Alzabarah and Abouammo to use their credentials to access nonpublic information about the individuals behind certain Twitter accounts. The Saudis were especially focused on those critical of their regime. A bail hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Source:NBC News