17-07-2025
Houthis linked to dealers selling weapons on X and WhatsApp
Published July 17th, 2025 - 07:59 GMT
ALBAWABA - A report recently revealed that arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis have been selling weapons using X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta platforms for years, according to The Guardian.
The report by the Washington-based organization Tech Transparency Project (TTP) revealed that some of the weapons being sold were US-made despite the Houthis being marked as a terrorist organization by the US, Canada, and other allied countries.
Despite Meta and X's strict social media policies regarding the issue at hand, the weapon trading operations have been running for months, with some organizations operating for years.
A new investigation by @TTP_updates shows Houthi-linked arms dealers using X and Meta platforms to sell weapons, in apparent violation of both social media giants' policies. The revelation comes as both companies massively cut back their moderation staff.
👇 — Will Christou (@will_christou) July 16, 2025
Director of TTP Katie Paul said, "X and WhatsApp both have policies against weapons sales but they are allowing arms traders linked to a US-designated terrorist group to traffic weapons on their platforms."
She added, "In some cases these companies may be profiting off violations of their own policies that create risks for US national security."
The report revealed that most accounts selling weapons were operating from the capital of Yemen, Sanaa, which often shared Houthi-related content.
Photos shared by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP)
During its investigation into the matter, TTP identified 130 X accounts and 67 WhatsApp business accounts operating in Yemen. The accounts sold military equipment, including rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, handguns, and more.
Several X accounts also used the platform's tipping features to maximize their profits.
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