Reuters editor indicted for helping hackers

Matthew Keys, 26, deputy social media editor based in New York, pictured, is charged with conspiring with members of Anonymous, a nebulous, global collective of so-called hactivists who often use computers to protesting against or support political causes, to break into Tribune computers. 

The indictment charged him with three criminal counts, including conspiracy to transmit information to damage a protected computer. It said that he promised to give hackers access to Tribune Company websites and that a story on the Los Angeles Times website was later altered by one of them.

The alleged incident occurred in December 2010. Reuters hired Keys in January 2012, describing him as “a recognised leader in helping journalists turn social media into valuable reporting tools”, whose online guides to Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter had helped many journalists make better use of social media.

His main mission was to promote Reuters journalists’ stories through social media. He drew attention last October by covertly creating a parody Twitter account, PendingLarry, which mocked Google after a premature release of an earnings report that included a space reserved for comment by CEO Larry Page. Reuters editors reprimanded him.

The company did not comment on his employment status following the indictment. A Thomson Reuters statement said: “We are aware of the charges brought by the Department of Justice against Matthew Keys, an employee of our news organization. Thomson Reuters is committed to obeying the rules and regulations in every jurisdiction in which it operates. Any legal violations, or failures to comply with the company’s own strict set of principles and standards, can result in disciplinary action. We would also observe the indictment alleges the conduct occurred in December 2010; Mr. Keys joined Reuters in 2012, and while investigations continue we will have no further comment.”

Reuters’ report of the indictment said Keys did not respond to requests for comment. But several hours after the indictment was handed down, he tweeted: “I found out the same way most of you did: From Twitter. Tonight I'm going to take a break. Tomorrow, business as usual.”

A Thomson Reuters employee at the office where Keys worked said his work station was being dismantled and his security pass had been deactivated.

Keys is scheduled to be arraigned on 12 April in Sacramento, California, according to the court docket. The US Justice Department said that, if convicted, Keys could face up to 25 years in prison as well a fine of $250,000 for each of the three counts.

Reuters spokeswoman Barb Burg said the organisation was reviewing the matter. She noted: “The indictment alleges the conduct occurred in December 2010, which is more than one year before Mr Keys joined Reuters.”

As a social media guru, Keys established a widespread following on Twitter where he amassed more than 23,000 followers for his personal account, apart from his tweets under the Reuters brand. He also wrote occasional longer blog entries for Reuters, including at least two about Anonymous. Time magazine named him one of its 140 best Twitter feeds. After posting more than 46,000 Twitter messages, he publicly took a break from the site. In an interview with Ad Week in July, he said Twitter had kept him up at night. “I got sucked into that. I loved it. I still love it. But at some point you have to take a break,” he said. In a Twitter post on Thursday, Keys again said he intended to take a break.

On the professional network LinkedIn, Keys wrote on his profile: “I like making things happen.”

Indictment ■