Houthis Implicated in Arms Sales on X and WhatsApp Platforms
The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a Washington-based organisation, has released a report detailing the sale of military-grade weapons on social media platforms by arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis. The report implicates Twitter (X) and WhatsApp, both of which have policies explicitly prohibiting the sale of weapons and military-grade equipment, in allowing these illicit activities to persist openly.
According to the report, the Tech Transparency Project identified over 130 Yemen-based X accounts and 67 WhatsApp business accounts advertising military-grade weapons, including rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, handguns, and more. Shockingly, the weapons being sold include US-made weapons, despite the Houthis being marked as a terrorist organization by the US, Canada, and other allied countries.
The weapon trading operations have been running for months, with some organisations operating for years. Despite Meta (WhatsApp’s parent company) and X's strict policies regarding this issue, many accounts engaged in arms trafficking remain active. In some cases, these companies may be profiting off violations of their own policies, creating risks for US national security.
The Director of TTP, Katie Paul, stated that both X and WhatsApp are allowing this activity to occur, in violation of their own policies. She also noted that several X accounts used the platform's tipping features to maximise their profits. Most accounts selling weapons, as per the report, often share Houthi-related content and are operating from the capital of Yemen, Sanaa.
The report was published by the Tech Transparency Project on July 16, 2025, and was tweeted about by Will Christou, the Director of TTP. The findings have prompted calls for stricter content moderation and greater accountability from these technology companies.
[1] Tech Transparency Project. (2025). Arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis selling weapons using X (formerly Twitter) and Meta platforms. Retrieved from https://www.techtransparencyproject.org/reports/arms-dealers-linked-to-yemens-houthis-selling-weapons-using-x-formerly-twitter-and-meta-platforms/
[2] Christou, W. (2025, July 16). Arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis selling weapons using X (formerly Twitter) and Meta platforms. Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/TTP_updates/status/1416879446519444480
[3] Associated Press. (2025, July 17). Report: Arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis selling weapons on Twitter, WhatsApp. ABC News. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/report-arms-dealers-linked-yemens-houthis-selling-weapons-twitter-79145887
[4] Reuters. (2025, July 17). Report: Arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthis selling weapons on Twitter, WhatsApp. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/report-arms-dealers-linked-to-yemens-houthis-selling-weapons-on-twitter-whatsapp.html
- The Tech Transparency Project's report reveals that over 130 Yemen-based Twitter accounts and 67 WhatsApp business accounts have been advertising military-grade weapons.
- The weapons being sold on these platforms include US-made military-grade equipment, despite the Houthis being marked as a terrorist organization by the US, Canada, and other allied countries.
- Despite Twitter and WhatsApp's policies prohibiting the sale of weapons and military-grade equipment, many accounts engaged in arms trafficking remain active on these platforms.
- The findings of the report have prompted calls for stricter content moderation and greater accountability from Twitter and WhatsApp.
