Reporter Ken Klippenstein had his X account suspended after he posted a link to a document containing sensitive information about Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance. The file, which was reportedly taken from a cyberattack on the Trump campaign, included personal details such as Vance's full name, home addresses, and a partial social security number.
X's Safety team confirmed the suspension, pointing to the violation of policies related to sharing unredacted private data. The platform also blocked any further attempts to share the link to Klippenstein's newsletter, which housed the document. Users trying to post the link were met with warnings indicating that the content had been flagged as potentially harmful.
Document Linked to Trump Campaign Hack, Klippenstein Shares It
The controversial dossier is said to have been obtained through an Iranian hack of Trump's 2020 campaign materials. While several news organizations were offered the same information, most opted against publishing it due to the inclusion of private details. Klippenstein chose to make it public, uploading the file to his Substack newsletter.
In his account of how the document was provided to him, Klippenstein mentioned that it came from an anonymous source using an AOL email address. Despite knowing the personal information included in the dossier, the journalist argued that it was relevant to share given the timing of the upcoming elections and the public interest in the matter.
Unlike other media outlets, which avoided publishing the dossier to avoid conflicts with the U.S. government's warnings about foreign interference in elections, Klippenstein defended his decision, stating, “The public deserves to know what's in this document, especially in a critical election season.”
X's Handling of Hacked Materials Raises Questions
Before Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, the platform had a strict policy barring the distribution of hacked content. The policy was famously invoked during the 2020 Hunter Biden laptop incident, where links to a New York Post article were blocked. However, following public criticism, including from Musk himself, Twitter adjusted the policy to allow certain materials, provided they weren't sourced directly from hackers.
Since Musk took over, X's stance on hacked materials has been less clear. Although links to Klippenstein's newsletter were blocked and his account suspended, the platform has not fully explained why the suspension was issued beyond citing privacy concerns. While X has previously allowed sharing of sensitive content under specific guidelines, it seems this incident was treated differently.
Fallout and Broader Implications
The document linked to JD Vance, which reportedly originated from a hack believed to be orchestrated by Iran, has sparked debate on the role of journalism in election-related leaks. The Trump campaign has accused the Iranian government of hacking its files, adding another layer of political tension.
Legal risks aside, X's decision to suspend Klippenstein and block the links underscores the platform's ongoing struggle to balance its rules on privacy and public interest. Users attempting to post the link to the dossier were greeted with warnings, effectively preventing further dissemination of the document on the platform.
