NEW DELHI: Islamic State (IS) supporters have called on militants across the world to attack Twitter employees, as retribution for the internet company’s efforts to block IS-related accounts.
“Your virtual war on us will cause a real war on you,” reads an online post addressed to Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and shared by Islamic State supporters.
The post, whose authorship is unknown, is written in Arabic and includes an image of Dorsey in the cross sights of a gun.
Included below are parts of the post, translated using Google Translate.
“You did you start from this failed war, has told you from the beginning that it is not your war! But you did not understand…”
“How to protect your employees Hey Jack helpless when their necks officially - become a target for the soldiers of the Caliphate and supporters scattered among your midst!”
“O Mujahid solo, and targeted the interests of Twitter Inc. everywhere human beings and not remain stone them or ungrateful sinner: slaughtered … and strangled and burned…”
“Virtual your war on us in the Internet will pull you real wars on earth! Is inevitable that it is only a matter of time, and perhaps some of your blood-thirsty black crusade has already started to move…”
Odd as it it may be, this is not the first time IS supporters have threatened Twitter. In September last year, a Twitter account -- @dawlamoon -- related to the militant group began issuing the group’s first direct call for attacks -- not on politicians or policy makers, but on Twitter employees.
The account, in addition to calling for attacks, tweeted strategies for jihadists to circumvent action against their accounts. As Vocativ.com reported at the time, “the techniques [recommended were] simple but effective; opening new accounts by subtly changing names, usernames, passwords and pictures of suspended accounts, using numerals to replace letters and changing one character to create a similar username.”
The account was suspended shortly after, but Vocativ.com compiled the Tweets and their translation. These are as follows:
“#The_Concept_of_Lone_Wolf_Attacks The time has arrived to respond to Twitter’s management by directly attacking their employees and physically assassinating them!! Those who will carry this out are the sleepers cells of death.”
“#The_Concept_of_Lone_Wolf_Attacks Twitter management should know that if they do not stop their campaign in the virtual world, we will the bring the war to them in the real world on the ground.”
“#The_Concept_of_Lone_Wolf_Attacks Every Twitter employee in San Francisco in the United States should bear in mind and watch over himself because on his doorstep there might be a lone wolf assassin waiting.”
“#Attacking_Twitter_Employees is on the agenda of mujahedeen and lone wolves who are across Europe.”
Clearly, almost six months hence, Twitter remains a target.