After police scandal, Elviss Strazdiņš announces shift to journalism

Cybersecurity expert Elviss Strazdiņš has announced plans to formally operate as a journalist going forward. Writing on the platform X, he said he had submitted documents to register his social media brand, “Elnormous,” as an official mass media outlet.

Strazdiņš said that if the process goes smoothly, he will practice journalism recognized both under European Union and Latvian frameworks.

Link to the cyberattack case

The announcement follows an incident in which Strazdiņš independently contacted the person behind a cyberattack on state forestry company Latvijas Valsts meži. Through that contact, he learned the attacker was demanding roughly 600,000 euros to decrypt the stolen data.

While Strazdiņš maintains he acted with good intentions, aiming to inform the public, his involvement drew the attention of the State Police. Speaking to Latvia's public broadcaster, he said he did not believe he had broken any laws and described his actions as journalism, characterizing the police response against him as targeting a journalist.

It remains unclear how authorities will respond to his move to formally register as a media outlet, but the step could have implications for how the ongoing case against him unfolds.