January 6, 2021
Publication: KrebsOnSecurity
After revelations that QAnon and 8chan conspiracy websites were hosted by a Hamas-linked firm that relies on a data center in the U.S., Kobre & Kim’s Sean Buckley spoke with investigative reporter Brian Krebs’ blog, KrebsOnSecurity, to analyze the potential legal ramifications for U.S.-based companies tied to designated terrorist organizations.
Buckley, a former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor and co-chief of the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, said that U.S. law prohibits U.S. entities from any transaction with Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organizations, which includes Hamas. The U.S.-based data center provides services to the firm that hosts conspiracy sites as well as Hamas’ official site, meaning they may incur fines and prosecution, even if were not aware they were violating SDGT sanctions.
As Buckley explained, “Even in the case that they are unaware they’re violating these regulations, or if the transaction isn’t directly with the sanctioned entity, these companies still run a risk of facing substantial civil and monetary penalties by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control if the sanctioned entity stands to benefit from such a transaction.”