Senators Warn Top Twitter Executives Over Data Security Risks Under Elon Musk's Leadership

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 05 June 2023, 02:06 pm

A group has publicly warned Top Twitter executives of senators that recent decisions made under the leadership of billionaire businessman Elon Musk might jeopardize the social media platform's data security and privacy.

The senators, all Democrats, assert that Twitter's massive layoffs may have undermined the company's commitment to preserving customer data, inadequate internal privacy checks, and a hurried changes in the subscription service, ABC News reported.

The senators' Friday letter seems to have been sparked by the recent departures of two senior data privacy executives, Ella Irwin, Head of Trust and Safety, and AJ Brown, Head of Brand Safety and Ad Quality.

Elon Musk Urged to Address 'Legal Obligations'

Sens. Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Mazie Hirono, and Elizabeth Warren raised concerns that Twitter could have broken a consent order made with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2011. According to CNBC, this ruling was made to stop Twitter from deceiving customers about how much security their data would get over 20 years.

The Democratic senators said in the letter that the behavior of Elon Musk shows an "apparent indifference" to the social media company's enduring "legal obligations," which continued when the tech mogul seized control of Twitter. They highlighted that regardless of individual riches, neither Mr. Musk nor the business he bought is free from the law.

The legislators have questioned the management of Twitter on several occasions on the company's compliance with the security and privacy requirements established in the FTC consent decree. They have asked Twitter to respond by June 18th.

Twitter Still Under FTC Probe

Previously, Twitter and the FTC agreed to a $150 million settlement for allegedly violating the terms of the agreement by exploiting customer data obtained under the pretext of security to target advertising.

Additionally, the FTC currently investigates Twitter for potential infringements of its consent orders. Following claims made in a whistleblower report by Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, the ex-security chief at Twitter, the agency confirmed the inquiry. According to Zatko, Twitter had not put in place adequate security measures and was thus very susceptible to penetration by foreign spies, per CNN.

Even though Zatko's accusations came before Elon Musk became its owner, the FTC and senators had said that the consent agreements covered Twitter's actions when Musk was in charge. According to legal experts, confirmed infringement might lead to hefty penalties, perhaps in the billions of dollars, as well as company limitations and punitive punishments for accountable leaders.