Spain authorizes extradition of Briton who allegedly hacked Netanyahu, Biden

By REUTERS

Published: FEBRUARY 17, 2023 15:28

Updated: FEBRUARY 17, 2023 16:49

22-year-old British citizen Joseph James O'Connor is led by Spanish police officers as he leaves a court after being arrested in connection with an alleged July 2020 Twitter hack that compromised the accounts of high-profile politicians and celebrities, according to the US Justice Department.

(photo credit: REUTERS/JON NAZCA)

The accounts of Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and Kanye West were also hit.

Spain's High Court on Friday agreed to a US extradition request for a British citizen wanted by the United States over a Twitter hack in 2020 that compromised the accounts of several politicians including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Joseph James O'Connor was arrested in July 2021 in the southern city of Estepona. The Spanish government still has to confirm the extradition. It usually complies with such High Court decisions though O'Connor could still appeal.

The High Court said the United States was in a better position to prosecute because that is where the evidence obtained in the investigation is located, as is any damage caused.

O'Connor had objected to his proposed extradition in a previous hearing in Madrid.

Accounts that were affected

The July 2020 Twitter attack hijacked a variety of verified accounts, including those of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former US President Barack Obama, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and Kanye West.

Details of the hack

The alleged hacker used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to prevent some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours until security could be restored.