Twitter Dismantles 6,000-Account Saudi Propaganda Network
Twitter takes down nearly 6,000 accounts linked to a Saudi marketing firm that spreads state-backed messaging. The takedown reveals a growing trend of governments outsourcing social media influence campaigns to third-party contractors.
Twitter removes 5,929 accounts that operate as a significant state-backed information operation originating from Saudi Arabia. These suspended accounts represent the core of a much larger network of 88,000 profiles that focus on liking, retweeting, and replying to content favorable to the Saudi government. Twitter attributes this coordinated activity to Smaat, a Saudi marketing firm that manages the accounts on behalf of high-profile individuals and various government departments.
The network primarily spreads anti-Qatar and anti-Iranian messaging in Arabic, often targeting the Prince of Qatar and pushing narratives surrounding the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Independent researchers note that the accounts tweet aggressively to support official Saudi narratives, such as amplifying the crown prince's denial of government involvement in the Khashoggi murder during a "60 Minutes" interview. As a consequence of this investigation, Twitter permanently suspends Smaat's access to the platform along with the accounts of the firm's senior executives.
This takedown highlights a troubling trend where international governments outsource their social media influence campaigns to private third-party companies. Unlike Russia's use of the Internet Research Agency, this Saudi operation stands out because of alleged attempts to infiltrate Twitter itself by recruiting company employees to gather information on dissidents. Twitter shares the data from these removed accounts with independent researchers to help analyze and expose the full scope of the deceptive campaign.