Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that Donald Trump’s Twitter account was hacked in October despite denials from Washington and the company, but said the “ethical hacker” would not face charges.
The hacker, named as Victor Gevers, broke into Trump’s account @realDonaldTrump on 16 October by guessing the US president’s password, Dutch media reports said.
Both the White House and Twitter strenuously denied reports that the account had been hacked.
Gevers, 44, disclosed the hack immediately, saying the password he guessed was “maga2020!”, referring to the Trump slogan “Make America Great Again”.
The public prosecutor’s office (Openbaar Ministerie) said: “We believe the hacker has actually penetrated Trump’s Twitter account, but has met the criteria that have been developed in case law to go free as an ethical hacker.”
It added that hacking was a criminal offence in the Netherlands. But it said that “special circumstances”, also referred to in practice as “responsible disclosure”, could stop prosecutors from taking steps.
Dutch prosecutors made their findings based on an investigation by the police specialist cyber unit, called Team High-tech Crime.
“Both the hacker and the American authorities have been informed of the outcome of the investigation,” prosecutors said.
When news of the hack first broke, Gevers told De Volkskrant that the ease with which he accessed Trump’s account suggested the president was not using basic security measures like two-step verification.
“I expected to be blocked after four failed attempts. Or at least would be asked to provide additional information,” he told the Dutch newspaper.
Gevers told the newspaper that he attempted to alert US authorities and was eventually contacted by the Secret Service who thanked him for bringing the security breach to their attention, he said.
It was not the first time Gevers had gained access to the president’s Twitter account: In 2016 he and two others guessed Trump’s password, which at the time was “yourefired” – the catchphrase from the reality TV The Apprentice.
