Using Hacked Data, Washington Post, Reuters Go After Doxxed Freedom Convoy Donors
The identities of individual donors to a GiveSendGo-based fundraiser for the “Freedom Convoy” Canadian trucker protest were exposed by hackers, who distributed lists of their names and addresses. That doxxing has now led to those donors being targeted by the Washington Post , Reuters, and other media outlets — not to mention harassed on social media.
The Washington Post has written extensively about the hacked data, including names of donors, and has emailed individuals to ask why they donated. Additionally, verified Twitter users from the Post and other outlets have shared the names and email addresses of those donors directly in tweets.
Reuters has published names online along with access to the list, and the CBC and other Canadian press have published names and contacted doxxed individuals.
The hack of the Christian-owned GiveSendGo fundraising website took place only a few days ago , and the data was published online. The fundraiser was hosted there after major crowdfunding website GoFundMe shut down a page raising money for the trucker protest in Canada, first seizing the funds before relenting and offering refunds under public pressure.
The donor database from GiveSendGo was shared online, and several major news outlets not only linked to the materials but mined it for stories.
Journalist and podcaster Saagar Enjeti is one of multiple people reporting on emails allegedly sent from unnamed Washington Post staff, and his tweet on the subject included a screenshot.
It is not just the Washington Post “reaching out” to these donors for interrogation. Canadian press have been tracking down donors, too.
When the New York Post was suspended from Twitter over their article about Hunter Biden ‘s laptop, Twitter cited their “ hacked materials policy ” as the basis, but also updated the policy as a result of that incident.
The new policy says the company does not “permit the use of our services to directly distribute content obtained through hacking by the people or groups associated with a hack.”
However, in this case, that seems to be exactly what is happening. The hacked donor names are being used directly on Twitter by the Washington Post ‘s Aaron Davis , who has a thread that includes names as well as statistical data on the hacked material.
Verified user Dean Blundell has also shared the list on Twitter, so far without consequence.
Twitter’s updated policy on hacked materials further states that the company may “label Tweets containing or linking to hacked materials to help people understand the authenticity or source of these materials and provide additional context.”
Reuters has not been flagged for their tweets linking to their publication of donor names obtained from the hacked materials.
The ramifications of these actions go beyond Twitter and other social media. As Glenn Greenwald mentioned , the ACLU and other organizations have long fought for the right to privacy for donors. The principles in question are about privacy as well as standards of journalism. Hacked materials weren’t banned by some social media companies out of quirky internet conventions, it was done because the issue of attacking private individuals in a public space using illicit or unethically-obtained information is a serious one.
Among those sharing the information online from the Washington Post and elsewhere, such concerns do not appear to have entered into the equation. Instead, the zealous pursuit of private citizens is motivated simply by the political aspects involved, and the ideology of the donors and their cause.
As CNN contributor Mary Katharine Ham put it on Twitter, “This is so toxic.”
This free citizen made a small donation to a cause with which the reporter does not agree, so let’s move right past the people threatening her & her biz such that she must close & focus on what she knew & when & how she will repent. This is so toxic. https://t.co/d1nMZikFAg
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) February 16, 2022
As of the time of this post, none of the news outlets have opted to remove any hacked materials or delete tweets that contain names obtained from the hacks. As it stands, private individuals who donated to the protest fundraiser continue to be treated as fair game, something that is not the case for every cause out there.
It's great to be a Democrat.
Hunter Biden's laptop.. off limits
Donald Trump's stolen tax returns.. fair game
hacked record of small donations... fair game.
The media's " standards" expire as soon as they stand in the way of progressive's needs of the moment.
Wonder how much energy they are putting into exposing the donors to BLM who just bailed out an an attempted assassin yesterday?
onder how much energy they are putting into exposing the donors to BLM who just bailed out an an attempted assassin yesterday?
Q the "BLM doesn't try to assassinate 93% of mayoral candidates, so what the big deal?" argument.
This just gets better and better:
"In the two weeks before Quintez Brown the antisemitic radical terrorist, tried to murder a Jewish mayoral candidate, his social media has pictures accusing Jews of being plantation owners, accusing Jewish money of running politics, and trafficking Black Hebrew Israelite garbage."
He's of course, out of jail now thanks to BLM. Given their obsession with trucks that honk horns, I'd expect the MSM to dig into who is funding BLM and it's support for antisemitic terrorists. But I'm guessing this falls into the Hunter Biden/hurts democrats blackout of coverage.
Even Ilhan Omar, of all people, recognizes how insane the doxxing is.
"I fail to see why any journalist felt the need to report on a shop owner making such a insignificant donation rather than to get them harassed. It’s unconscionable and journalists need to do better
if she's calling this out, it must be pretty stupid.
I have to admit I'm surprised to hear common sense coming out of her mouth but that's what it is. These journalists know it's worse than that though, they know full well the type of crazies there are out there and making targets out of donors can lead to a lot more than harassment.
I have to admit I'm surprised to hear common sense coming out of her mouth but that's what it is
It really goes to show just how extreme those who oppose her are. She took flack from the left over this.
The left knows what happens when names get published. It's how they intimidate people.
boo hoo hoo, it must suck being a gullible moron. ps - all the 1/6 arrested insurrectionists are part of public record. tough shit, huh?
Just throwing random syllables together now, huh?
This has nothing with Jan 6th. [Deleted]
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Man Donates To Truck Convoy Under Name ‘Hunter Biden’ So Washington Post Won't Dox Him