Reuters Social Media Editor Accused Of Helping 'Anonymous' Hacker Group Says He Was Fired

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Reuters deputy social media editor accused of conspiring with hackers to deface a Los Angeles Times story said Monday he was fired.

Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old Matthew Keys provided the hacking group Anonymous with login information to access the computer system of The Tribune Co., the Times' parent company.

According to a federal indictment handed down last month, a hacker identified only as "Sharpie" used information Keys supplied in an Internet chat room and altered a headline on a December 2010 Times story to reference another hacking group

Tribune also owns a Sacramento television station Keys had been fired from months earlier.

Reuters hired him in 2012 and suspended him from his New York social media job on March 14. Thomson Reuters spokesman David Girardin declined to elaborate Monday on why Keys was no longer employed.

Keys did not immediately respond to a telephone message, but tweeted his union would be filing a grievance.

"Just got off the phone. Reuters has fired me, effective today. Our union will be filing a grievance. More soon," he posted.

He elaborated on his Facebook page, saying "contrary to some speculative tweets, Reuters did not state the indictment as their basis for the termination of my employment."

His attorney Tor Ekeland said he would not comment on the firing because the Newspaper Guild was representing him on the matter.

The Guild did not immediately return a phone call seeking additional details.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.