A GIF that triggered a US journalist's seizure should be considered a deadly weapon, a Texas grand jury has said in an unprecedented ruling. Magazine reporter Kurt Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, was sent a strobe-animated GIF by an anonymous Twitter user in December last year. It said: "You deserve a seizure for your posts." Eichenwald's partner replied to the message: "This is his wife, you caused a seizure. I have your information and have called the police to report the assault." @jew_goldstein This is his wife, you caused a seizure. I have your information and have called the police to report the assault. — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 16, 2016 John Rayne Rivello, a 29-year-old from Maryland, was arrested after FBI investigators traced him through an iCloud account linked to an iPhone that he allegedly used to send the tweet. Indictment documents reveal the GIF has been classed as a "deadly weapon", resulting in Rivello being charged with criminal cyber-stalking with the intent to kill or cause bodily harm. Rivello is accused of "intentionally, knowingly and recklessly" causing bodily injury to the journalist, the grand jury referral says. He induced a seizure "with an animated strobe image, knowing that the complainant was susceptible to seizures and that such animations are capable of causing seizures", it is alleged. He currently faces federal charges & is expected to also be indicted by the Dallas District Attorney on different charges in next few days. — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) March 17, 2017 The defendant used and exhibited "a deadly weapon, to-wit: a Tweet and a GIF ... during the commission of the assault", it is claimed. The offending tweet was allegedly sent in response to Eichenwald's outspoken criticism of then-President-elect Donald Trump. Legal experts told the Verge that the classification of a GIF as a deadly weapon is unprecedented. Eichenwald has thanked federal and Dallas law enforcement for the break in the case. The case continues.
