Twitter followers defiant despite WikiLeaks probe

Thousands of new followers have signed up to the WikiLeaks Twitter feed despite news that US authorities are snooping on supporters.

According to WikiLeaks, it has 20,000 more Twitter followers now than it did when the US started legal proceedings demanding that Twitter give up details of the whistleblowing site’s supporters.

The US Department of Justice secured a court order demanding Twitter gave it information related to WikiLeaks’ Twitter account, as well of account details of several members and supporters.

Once the secret subpoena was exposed, the US was criticised for using intimidation tactics, but far from acting as a deterrent, the measures appear to have increased support for WikiLeaks.

The news comes as EU officials continue to ponder the legality of the US’s actions in seeking personal information from non-US citizens.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) has called for the European Parliament to probe the US subpoenas to investigate whether the US action breached EU data protection rules.

“The EU should as a matter of urgency ask the US authorities for clarifications on the subpoenas imposed on Twitter and most probably on other private companies to provide personal information and communications of persons – including EU citizens – they consider to be related to Wikileaks,” said ALDE vice president Sophie In’t Veld.

“The lack of an identified illegal act and of a judicial enquiry in the US casts a shadow on the whole process of lifting the protection of citizens’ privacy for the sake of national security through such subpoena orders.”