Newsweek reporter goes after Twitter after user triggers seizure

DALLAS — A Newsweek reporter who has epilepsy is seeking information from Twitter in his effort to find out the identity of a person he says sent him a strobe-light image intended to trigger a seizure. The image was apparently sent in response to Eichenwald’s outspoken criticism of President-elect Donald Trump.

Kurt Eichenwald filed a request Monday in Dallas County Court seeking to depose Twitter executives. 

Eichenwald, who has written about his experience living with epilepsy and having seizures, says in his legal request that the image effectively triggered a seizure. He says the person tweeted a strobe image with the words, “You deserve a seizure for your posts,” on Dec. 15.

The legal filing says Twitter suspended the sender’s account “upon learning of the assault.”

In a series of tweets, Eichenwald expressed dismay that anyone would take their disagreement to such extremes. “Folks, if a blind man says things you don’t like, it’s not okay to direct him towards a cliff. Find some humanity,” he wrote. 

And he wondered, “How have so many [people] become such sociopaths that they think its ok to assault someone if they write political stories they don’t like?” 

Eichenwald also tweeted a warning to anyone who would do this: “We are getting your accounts canceled, one at a time. So if u want to stay on twitter, stop,” he wrote.

Twitter says it doesn’t comment on individual investigations. Eichenwald’s attorney didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.