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| A Tweet to Kurt Eichenwald, a Strobe and a Seizure. Now, an Arrest. | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — When the journalist Kurt Eichenwald opened an animated image sent to him on Twitter last December, the message “You deserve a seizure for your posts” appeared in capital letters along with a blinding strobe light. Mr. Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, has said he immediately suffered a seizure. | WASHINGTON — When the journalist Kurt Eichenwald opened an animated image sent to him on Twitter last December, the message “You deserve a seizure for your posts” appeared in capital letters along with a blinding strobe light. Mr. Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, has said he immediately suffered a seizure. |
| On Friday, the F.B.I. said it had arrested and charged a man for sending the electronic file, though the agency did not immediately release the suspect’s name or specify the criminal charges. | On Friday, the F.B.I. said it had arrested and charged a man for sending the electronic file, though the agency did not immediately release the suspect’s name or specify the criminal charges. |
| The unusual case has shown how online tools can be deployed as weapons capable of physical harm. Mr. Eichenwald said the attacker used the strobe light knowing that the visual elements were likely to lead Mr. Eichenwald, who has publicly discussed his epilepsy, into a seizure. | The unusual case has shown how online tools can be deployed as weapons capable of physical harm. Mr. Eichenwald said the attacker used the strobe light knowing that the visual elements were likely to lead Mr. Eichenwald, who has publicly discussed his epilepsy, into a seizure. |
| Steven Lieberman, Mr. Eichenwald’s lawyer, has argued that the use of the strobe light in a GIF, or moving graphic, was akin to sending an explosive or poison in the mail. | Steven Lieberman, Mr. Eichenwald’s lawyer, has argued that the use of the strobe light in a GIF, or moving graphic, was akin to sending an explosive or poison in the mail. |
| “This electronic message was no different than a bomb sent in the mail or anthrax sent in an envelope,” said Mr. Lieberman, who is working on the case as a pro bono service. “It triggers a physical effect.” (Mr. Lieberman has previously represented The New York Times, and Mr. Eichenwald was a reporter for The Times from 1986-2006.) | “This electronic message was no different than a bomb sent in the mail or anthrax sent in an envelope,” said Mr. Lieberman, who is working on the case as a pro bono service. “It triggers a physical effect.” (Mr. Lieberman has previously represented The New York Times, and Mr. Eichenwald was a reporter for The Times from 1986-2006.) |
| That comparison makes Mr. Eichenwald’s case different from other claims of harmful attacks using social media. Lawsuits involving stalking and bullying on the internet have focused on how online content, such as disparaging and abusive messages and pictures, can harm victims emotionally and even increase the risk of suicide. But with this case, the offender is said to have designed the attack specifically around the victim’s medical condition. | That comparison makes Mr. Eichenwald’s case different from other claims of harmful attacks using social media. Lawsuits involving stalking and bullying on the internet have focused on how online content, such as disparaging and abusive messages and pictures, can harm victims emotionally and even increase the risk of suicide. But with this case, the offender is said to have designed the attack specifically around the victim’s medical condition. |
| “This is an interesting and unique case in that there are lots of online attacks that can have physical consequences, such as an attack on an electrical grid or the control of air traffic control,” said Vivek Krishnamurthy, an assistant director at the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard Law School. “But this is distinguishable because it is a targeted physical attack that was personal, using a plain-Jane tool.” | “This is an interesting and unique case in that there are lots of online attacks that can have physical consequences, such as an attack on an electrical grid or the control of air traffic control,” said Vivek Krishnamurthy, an assistant director at the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard Law School. “But this is distinguishable because it is a targeted physical attack that was personal, using a plain-Jane tool.” |
| The attack drew attention from the news media at the time as thousands of Twitter users witnessed the sequence of events unfold live on the social media site. | The attack drew attention from the news media at the time as thousands of Twitter users witnessed the sequence of events unfold live on the social media site. |
| Mr. Eichenwald, 55, who has around 317,000 followers on Twitter and has written four books, including “The Informant,” had been critical of Donald J. Trump throughout the presidential campaign. Mr. Eichenwald suspected that the attacker, who operated under the pseudonym “@jew_goldstein” on Twitter, was a supporter of Mr. Trump. The account no longer exists on Twitter. | Mr. Eichenwald, 55, who has around 317,000 followers on Twitter and has written four books, including “The Informant,” had been critical of Donald J. Trump throughout the presidential campaign. Mr. Eichenwald suspected that the attacker, who operated under the pseudonym “@jew_goldstein” on Twitter, was a supporter of Mr. Trump. The account no longer exists on Twitter. |