US Capitol rioters accused of erasing content from social media, phones

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. (File/AFP)
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Updated 04 July 2021
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US Capitol rioters accused of erasing content from social media, phones

  • Experts say the efforts to scrub the social media accounts reveal a desperate willingness to manipulate evidence once these people realized they were in hot water
  • Only a handful of the more than 500 people across the US who have been arrested in the riot have actually been charged

PHOENIX: They flaunted their participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol on social media and then, apparently realizing they were in legal trouble, rushed to delete evidence of it, authorities say. Now their attempts to cover up their role in the deadly siege are likely to come back to haunt them in court.
An Associated Press review of court records has found that at least 49 defendants are accused of trying to erase incriminating photos, videos and texts from phones or social media accounts documenting their conduct as a pro-Donald Trump mob stormed Congress and briefly interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.
Experts say the efforts to scrub the social media accounts reveal a desperate willingness to manipulate evidence once these people realized they were in hot water. And, they say, it can serve as powerful proof of people’s consciousness of guilt and can make it harder to negotiate plea deals and seek leniency at sentencing.
“It makes them look tricky, makes them look sneaky,” said Gabriel J. Chin, who teaches criminal law at the University of California, Davis.
One such defendant is James Breheny, a member of the Oath Keepers extremist group, who bragged in texts to others about being inside the Capitol during the insurrection, authorities say. An associate instructed Breheny, in an encrypted message two days after the riot, to “delete all pictures, messages and get a new phone,” according to court documents.
That same day, the FBI said, Breheny shut down his Facebook account, where he had photos that he taken during the riot and complained the government had grown tyrannical. “The People’s Duty is to replace that Government with one they agree with,” Breheny wrote on Facebook on Jan. 6 in an exchange about the riot. “I’m all ears. What’s our options???”
Breheney’s lawyer, Harley Breite, said his client never obstructed the riot investigation or destroyed evidence, and that Breheny didn’t know when he shut down account that his content would be considered evidence.
Breite rejected the notion that Breheny might have been able to recognize, in the days immediately after Jan. 6 when the riot dominated news coverage, that the attack was a serious situation that could put Breheny’s liberty at risk.
“You can’t delete evidence if you don’t know you are being charged with anything,” Breite said.
Other defendants who have not been accused of destroying evidence still engaged in exchanges with others about deleting content, according to court documents.
The FBI said one woman who posted video and comments showing she was inside the Capitol during the attack later decided not to restore her new phone with her iCloud content — a move that authorities suspect was aimed at preventing them from uncovering the material.
In another case, authorities say screenshots from a North Carolina man’s deleted Facebook posts contradicted his claim during an interview with an FBI agent that he didn’t intend on disrupting the Electoral College certification.
Erasing digital content isn’t as easy as deleting content from phones, removing social media posts or shutting down accounts. Investigators have been able to retrieve the digital content by requesting it from social media companies, even after accounts are shut down.
Posts made on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms are recoverable for a certain period of time, and authorities routinely ask those companies to preserve the records until they get court orders to view the posts, said Adam Scott Wandt, a public policy professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who trains law enforcement on cyber-based investigations.
Authorities also have other avenues for investigating whether someone has tried to delete evidence.
Even when a person removes content from an account, authorities may still get access to it if it had been backed up on a cloud server. People who aren’t involved in a crime yet were sent incriminating videos or photos may end up forwarding them to investigators. Also, metadata embedded in digital content can show whether it has been modified or deleted.
“You can’t do it,” said Joel Hirschhorn, a criminal defense lawyer in Miami who is not involved in Capitol riot cases. “The metadata will do them in every time.”
Only a handful of the more than 500 people across the US who have been arrested in the riot have actually been charged with tampering for deleting incriminating material from their phones or Facebook accounts.
They include several defendants in the sweeping case against members and associates of the Oath Keepers extremist group, who are accused of conspiring to block the certification of the vote. In one instance, a defendant instructed another to “make sure that all signal comms about the op has been deleted and burned,” authorities say.
But even if it does not result in more charges, deleting evidence will make it difficult for those defendants to get much benefit at sentencing for accepting responsibility for their actions, said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School.
Some lawyers might argue their clients removed the content to lessen the social impact that the attack had on their families and show they do not support what had occurred during the riot. But she said that argument has limits.
“The words ‘self-serving’ will come to mind,” Levenson said. “That’s what the prosecutors will argue — you removed it because all of a sudden, you have to face the consequences of your actions.”
Matthew Mark Wood, who acknowledged deleting content from his phone and Facebook account that showed presence in the Capitol during the riot, told an FBI agent that he did not intend on disrupting the Electoral College certification.
But investigators say screenshots of two of his deleted Facebook posts tell a different story.
In the posts, Wood reveled in rioters sending “those politicians running” and declared that he had stood up against a tyrannical government in the face of a stolen election, the FBI said in court records. “When diplomacy doesn’t work and your message has gone undelivered, it shouldn’t surprise you when we revolt,” Wood wrote. His lawyer did not return a call seeking comment.
Even though she is not accused of deleting content that showed she was inside the Capitol during the riot, one defendant told her father that she was not going to restore her new phone with her iCloud backup about three weeks after the riot, the FBI said.
“Stay off the clouds!” the father warned his daughter, according to authorities. “They are how they are screwing with us.”


Saudi, UN bodies sign deal on media training

Updated 26 sec ago
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Saudi, UN bodies sign deal on media training

  • Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has signed a cooperation agreement with the UN Institute for Training and Research to promote sustainable development and empower individuals as well as media organizations.

It aims to advance media and training efforts in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and global sustainable development trends, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The agreement focuses on creating lasting impact through innovative training programs that combine academic knowledge with practical applications.

These programs will empower journalists and organizations, enhance professional awareness in both public and private sectors, and promote media literacy and innovative education.

The partnership will also support media organizations in achieving sustainable development goals through professional training, remote learning and educational resources.

Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media.

He added that Saudi Arabia, a nation of continuous renewal, must stay ahead of transformations to advance its development.

The forum continues to forge strategic partnerships with local and international entities to elevate Saudi media’s global standing while providing media professionals and organizations with the tools to create world-class content, the SPA reported.

 


Israeli soldiers desecrate church in southern Lebanon in latest religious site incident

Updated 23 min 17 sec ago
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Israeli soldiers desecrate church in southern Lebanon in latest religious site incident

  • IDF soldiers are filmed performing a mock wedding inside an Orthodox church
  • Online users question continued support by Western Christians despite rise in attacks toward non-Jewish religious sites

LONDON: Israeli soldiers have come under fire after a video surfaced showing them desecrating a Christian church in southern Lebanon, marking the latest attack on a religious site amid rumors of an imminent truce in Lebanon.

The incident reportedly took place in Deir Mimas, near the border with Israel, and involved soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces Golani Special Operations Unit.

The video, which began circulating widely online on Monday, depicts the soldiers performing a mock wedding ceremony inside the Orthodox church, sparking outrage across social media platforms.

The footage shows a male soldier, pretending to be a bride, wearing a hood and participating in a staged ritual led by another soldier using a disconnected microphone. The mock priest asked for the bride and groom’s names as the group laughed.

The scene escalates into chaos as another soldier interrupts, kneels before the “bride,” and simulates a dramatic objection, followed by soldiers piling on top of each other.

The timing of the video remains unclear, but its release has drawn condemnation online.

Karim Emile Bitar, professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, called it a blatant act of disrespect, posting on X: “Another video of Israeli soldiers desecrating a Church in South Lebanon and mocking the holy sacraments. Deafening silence of US and European politicians who spent the past 20 years masquerading as defenders of Eastern Christians, only to pander to Western Islamophobes.”

Other users voiced their anger, accusing Western Christians of ignoring Israeli acts of disrespect toward non-Jewish religious sites.

“It is incomprehensible that US Christians continue to blindly defend Israelis who desecrate the Church,” voiced another user.

This incident follows a string of troubling actions targeting cultural and religious landmarks by Israeli forces.

Earlier this month, the same IDF brigade allegedly vandalized two memorials in Hula, south Lebanon, using graffiti that read, “A good Shiite is a dead Shiite.”

In August, footage emerged showing IDF soldiers burning copies of the Qur’an in a Gaza mosque, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting an internal Israeli Military Police investigation.


UK police forces quietly withdraw from X platform amid content concerns

Updated 31 min 22 sec ago
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UK police forces quietly withdraw from X platform amid content concerns

  • Several UK police forces cut X usage to a minimum after misinformation on the platform fueled UK’s summer riots
  • X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade

LONDON: Several British police forces have largely withdrawn from Elon Musk’s X social media platform as concerns over its role in promoting violence and extreme content persist, a Reuters survey of forces’ social media output showed.
X, formerly Twitter, was used to spread misinformation that sparked riots across Britain this summer, and has reinstated British-based accounts that had been banned for extremist content.
Musk’s comment in August that civil war in Britain was “inevitable” drew rebukes from Downing Street and police leaders.
Critics argue that Musk’s approach fosters hate speech, though Musk has said he is defending free speech and has described Britain as a “police state.”
Reuters reported in October that North Wales Police had ceased posting on X. Others are moving in that direction, according to Tuesday’s survey.
Reuters visually monitored posts on X from 44 territorial police and British Transport Police over the three months to Nov. 13 and focused on ones that had noticeably fewer posts, comparing their output to a year previously.
Reuters then contacted those eight forces.
West Midlands Police, one of Britain’s biggest police forces which serves the second city of Birmingham, reduced its X posts by around 95 percent in annual terms in that period.
Lancashire Police in the north of England, cut its usage of X by around three-quarters compared with a year ago.
“We understand that, as the digital landscape changes, so too does our audiences’ channels of choice,” the force said.
And Derbyshire Police, which serves around a million people in central England, made its last original post on Aug. 12 and has responded only to queries since. It said it was reviewing its social media presence.

X-COMMUNICATION
Other forces said X remained useful for updates on things like road closures, but platforms like Facebook and Instagram were better for reaching communities.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade.
It had just over 10 million British app users in October, compared with 4.5 million for Threads and 433,000 for Blue Sky, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
But usage is dropping, with X’s British app users down 19 percent on a year ago, Similarweb data showed.
The government still posts to X but does not use it for paid communications. It does, however, advertise on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, a government source said last month.
Several well-known organizations, including the Guardian and non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, have quit X due to concerns over its content.
Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Alliance Manchester Business School, said many institutions were wary of Musk’s power over the platform, as well as his “very substantial views.”
Asked why more police forces had not quit, Cooper told Reuters: “Institutions, just like individuals, get addicted. They invested in it over a period of time.”
North Wales Police is the only force to officially quit X completely.
“As X was no longer an effective communication medium, this change hasn’t affected our abilities to reach our communities,” it said. (Reporting by Andy Bruce Editing by Christina Fincher)


Saudi Media Forum opens registration for annual media awards

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Media Forum opens registration for annual media awards

  • Process open to media professionals, organizations until Dec. 10

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has launched the registration process for its prestigious annual media awards, an event which aims to inspire creativity and recognize excellence across the media sector.

The awards are held in conjunction with the forum’s activities and the Future of Media Exhibition, which is to be held in Riyadh from Feb. 19-21 next year.

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, the president of the Saudi Media Forum, stressed the awards’ growing importance in highlighting the role of the media in shaping societal values and fostering innovation, and added the event sought to recognize exceptional efforts in the fields of media and communication.

Last year’s edition saw more than 3,000 submissions locally and regionally, and the SMF said it expected participation to double this year amid growing interest in the sector.

The awards span a wide range of categories, including journalism, television programs, podcasts, academic research, and public relations campaigns. Individual achievements will also be recognized through accolades such as Media Personality of the Year, Best Digital Content, and the Columnist Award.

Al-Harthi also highlighted the introduction of the Tolerance Award, an international track focused on coexistence and dialogue and developed in partnership with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue.

Registration is open to media professionals and organizations until Dec. 10, with submissions being accepted through the forum’s official platform.

Detailed criteria and submission guidelines can be accessed on the forum’s website at saudimf.sa/ar/awards.


Media watchdogs condemn ‘concerning’ Haaretz boycott by Israeli government

Updated 26 November 2024
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Media watchdogs condemn ‘concerning’ Haaretz boycott by Israeli government

  • Committee to Protect Journalists says tactic is ‘disturbing evidence’ of efforts to prevent coverage of Gaza war
  • Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken critical of Israeli policies, prompting government call for restrictions on left-leaning paper

LONDON: Media watchdogs have strongly criticized the Israeli government’s decision to boycott Haaretz, one of the country’s oldest and most critical newspapers, calling it a troubling blow to media freedom and pluralism.

“We are extremely concerned over Israel’s authoritarian drift that undermines media pluralism and the public’s right to know,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger, who called on “the government to review its decision and stop damaging press freedom in the country by boycotting a newspaper.”

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, labeled the boycott “deplorable” and accused Israel of intensifying its restrictions on critical media. “Israel’s increasing deployment of restrictions on critical media is further disturbing evidence of its efforts to prevent coverage of its actions in Gaza,” she said.

The Israeli government unanimously approved a proposal on Nov. 24 by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi to halt all government advertising in and communication with Haaretz.

The decision effectively boycotts the left-leaning outlet, citing comments by publisher Amos Schocken, who had earlier called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian resistance groups as “freedom fighters.”

Schocken, who has led the paper for over three decades, later clarified that he did not include groups like Hamas in his reference to freedom fighters, emphasizing his support for nonviolent resistance.

Despite this, Haaretz faced significant backlash, publishing an editorial distancing itself from his remarks.

Karhi defended the government’s move, saying Israel “cannot fund a newspaper whose publisher calls for sanctions against the state and supports its enemies during wartime.”

He has previously accused Haaretz of propagating “anti-Israel propaganda” and called for financial penalties against the paper.

The boycott comes amid wider concerns over media freedom in Israel.

Critics point to the introduction of laws like the so-called “Al Jazeera law,” which allows temporary bans on foreign media deemed a national security risk, and ongoing attempts to privatize the public broadcaster Kan.

“Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who follows the hardline stances of the Likud party, is leveraging the ongoing war — the longest in the country’s history — to silence voices that criticise the far-right coalition in power,” said Paris-based media watchdog Reporter Without Borders.

The Paris-based watchdog added that such measures will have “lasting, detrimental effects on Israel’s media landscape.”

In response, Haaretz described the government’s actions as an attempt to “silence a critical, independent newspaper,” vowing to continue its reporting despite the restrictions.