In a letter to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee said that, if true, whistleblower Peiter “Mudge” Zatko’s allegations “show an intolerable disregard for data security that undermines national security and the privacy of Twitter’s users.”
US Senators Question Twitter on its Security & Privacy Matters
In their letter, Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin of Illinois and the panel’s top Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa questioned Twitter on how it restricts staff access to sensitive user data, the company’s protocols for protecting user data from exposure to foreign intelligence, and allegations that Twitter has misled regulatory agencies. “The disclosure creates a worrisome image of a corporation that fell short of basic security requirements in the technology industry, failed to appropriately thwart attempts by foreign governments to get access to sensitive user data, and wilfully misled government regulators,” the pair said. In July, Zatko submitted an 84-page whistleblower lawsuit alleging that his former employer prioritized user development over privacy and security with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, and Federal Trade Commission. Instead of addressing the difficulties he brought to their attention, Zatko accused Twitter officials of hiding negative news. Zatko said in the complaint that Twitter looked to have a high rate of security incidents, some employees had blocked security and software updates on their computers, and staff had excessive access to user data. Twitter responded to the charges by asserting that the whistleblower’s complaint contains contradictions, errors, and a lack of crucial context. Check out? Twitter Launches direct Insta and Snap sharing to its Android app
