In a recent court filing, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has alleged that Elon Musk鈥榮 takeover of Twitter, now rebranded as X Corp, created a 鈥渃haotic environment鈥� that may have violated a government order that mandated improvements in data security and privacy practices.
The DoJ鈥檚 legal filing on Tuesday raises concerns about whether Twitter/X Corp was adhering to an order issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a consumer and competition watchdog.
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Questions Arise About Compliance
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The DoJ鈥檚 filing is rooted in depositions from former Twitter employees, now part of X Corp, which cast doubts on the company鈥檚 adherence to the FTC鈥檚 2022 administrative order.
According to the filing, these 鈥渞evealed a chaotic environment at the company that raised serious questions about whether and how Musk and other leaders were ensuring X Corp鈥檚 compliance with the 2022 administrative order.鈥�
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Elon Musk鈥檚 Approach to Security and Privacy Questioned
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Andrew Sayler, Twitter鈥檚 former director of security engineering, testified during these depositions, expressing ongoing concerns about Elon Musk鈥檚 commitment to the organisation鈥檚 security and privacy.
Sayler raised issues about Musk鈥檚 requests to grant access to third parties without following the regular vetting process, implying a degree of disregard for security.
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Accelerated Launch of Twitter Blue Alongside Reduced Staffing
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The DoJ filing provides another example of Musk鈥檚 leadership style, stating that he 鈥渋nsisted on launching the new Twitter Blue user verification service on an accelerated basis, despite staffing limitations.鈥� Despite staffing constraints, Musk pushed for an immediate launch, which resulted in employees 鈥渟truggling to keep the service up.鈥�
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History of Privacy Violations and Settlements
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Prior to Musk鈥檚 acquisition of Twitter (now X Corp), the platform鈥檚 parent company, Twitter Inc., settled charges related to misleading consumers about data privacy and security. In this settlement, they agreed to pay a $150 million fine and update a 2011 order imposed by the FTC.
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FTC鈥檚 Investigation
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The FTC鈥檚 oversight of X Corp continued even after Musk鈥檚 takeover, with a particular focus on his mass layoffs at the company. The FTC aimed to obtain Musk鈥檚 internal communications as part of their ongoing monitoring of the social media company鈥檚 privacy and cybersecurity practices.
The DoJ鈥檚 filing also disputes X Corp鈥檚 argument that Musk should not be required to testify regarding compliance with the order. They argue that Musk possesses 鈥渦nique, first-hand鈥� knowledge of the company鈥檚 data practices.
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Employee Departures and Leadership Problems
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The filing highlights that approximately half of X Corp鈥檚 employees were terminated or resigned within weeks of Musk鈥檚 acquisition, including key executives responsible for privacy, data security, and compliance. Musk鈥檚 leadership saw problems such as the botched relaunch of the Twitter Blue subscription service and reports of site outages.
In conclusion, the DoJ鈥檚 filing shows the need for an in-depth examination of X Corp鈥檚 compliance with the FTC鈥檚 order in the wake of Elon Musk鈥檚 leadership, citing concerns about data security and privacy practices in the tumultuous environment that followed the acquisition.
