A British hacker has been ordered by the Southwark Crown Court to repay £4 million after hijacking celebrity Twitter accounts. The incident took place in 2020, involving the hacker compromising high-profile Twitter accounts to promote a Bitcoin scam. The hacker, Joseph O’Connor, targeted accounts belonging to personalities such as Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, and Barack Obama.
O’Connor was arrested in Spain in 2020 and extradited to the United States, where he faced charges related to the Twitter hack. In addition to the financial repayment, he has been banned from using the internet without permission and is required to disclose his online accounts to the authorities.
The US Department of Justice welcomed the ruling, emphasizing the importance of holding cybercriminals accountable for their actions. O’Connor’s defense argued that he was young when the hack occurred and claimed that he had taken responsibility for his actions.
The case highlights the growing concern over cybersecurity and the need for stringent measures to deter hackers. As social media platforms continue to play a significant role in public discourse, the security of these platforms remains a critical issue that must be addressed.
Sources Analysis:
Southwark Crown Court – The court is an official legal entity and is expected to provide a neutral and unbiased judgment.
US Department of Justice – While a government agency, it may have a vested interest in promoting cybercrime prosecution and cybersecurity measures.
Joseph O’Connor’s defense – Likely to advocate for leniency and present arguments in favor of the defendant, potentially downplaying the severity of the actions.
Fact Check:
Hacker hijacked celebrity Twitter accounts – Verified fact. The incident was widely reported and confirmed by multiple sources.
Joseph O’Connor targeted high-profile Twitter accounts for a Bitcoin scam – Verified fact. Supported by court documents and news reports on the case.
O’Connor’s defense claimed he was young when the hack occurred – Verified fact. Reported in various media outlets based on statements from the defense team.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “British hacker must repay £4m after hijacking celebrity Twitter accounts”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.