French police say they have detained a 25-year-old man who allegedly hacked into the Twitter microblogging accounts of numerous well-known figures.
The accounts at issue include those of U.S. President Barack Obama and pop singer Britney Spears.
French police said the suspect, who went by the pseudonym "Hacker Croll," was caught following a joint operation with the U.S. FBI.
The suspect was reported arrested on March 23 in the Puy-de-Dome region of central France.
After being questioned by police, the suspect was released from custody and ordered to appear in court in June.
Hacking into a database is a crime in France and carries a maximum two-year prison sentence.
The suspect is reported to have posted information about his activities on online forums, and police said it appears the challenge of hacking, not money, was the suspect's main motivation.
compiled from agency reports
The accounts at issue include those of U.S. President Barack Obama and pop singer Britney Spears.
French police said the suspect, who went by the pseudonym "Hacker Croll," was caught following a joint operation with the U.S. FBI.
The suspect was reported arrested on March 23 in the Puy-de-Dome region of central France.
After being questioned by police, the suspect was released from custody and ordered to appear in court in June.
Hacking into a database is a crime in France and carries a maximum two-year prison sentence.
The suspect is reported to have posted information about his activities on online forums, and police said it appears the challenge of hacking, not money, was the suspect's main motivation.
compiled from agency reports
