Climate Activists' Emails Breached in 2016 Hacking

In January 2016, climate advocates and lawyers met to strategize on holding Exxon Mobil accountable for climate change, following reports that the company's scientists had confirmed fossil fuels caused climate change as early as 1982. Kert Davies, founder of the Climate Investigations Center, was among those present. Approximately one month after this meeting, Davies began receiving suspicious emails that appeared to be notifications from social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These emails contained links that, when clicked, led to phishing attempts. Davies and other climate activists on a listserv reported receiving similar "fishy" emails in early March 2016. Some activists clicked the links and entered their passwords, leading to a "creeping sense of dread" as they realized their communications were compromised. This incident is now being examined in a court case that aims to shed light on who allegedly orchestrated the hacking, a decade after the initial breach occurred. The legal proceedings seek to understand the origins of the cyberattack that targeted individuals and groups working to hold the fossil fuel giant accountable for its role in climate change.