An picture of latest Twitter proprietor Elon Musk is seen surrounded by Twitter logos on this picture illustration in Warsaw, Poland on 08 November, 2022.
STR | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The Federal Trade Commission is carefully watching Twitter’s strikes underneath new proprietor Elon Musk, a spokesperson stated in a press release Thursday. The company struck a settlement with Twitter earlier this 12 months, giving it oversight of sure safety and privateness practices on the firm.
“We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern,” an FTC spokesperson stated in a press release. “No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees. Our revised consent order gives us new tools to ensure compliance, and we are prepared to use them.”
The assertion comes after a number of key safety and privateness executives resigned or had been dismissed from the corporate following Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter.
The Washington Post earlier reported on the FTC’s issues.
As CNBC beforehand reported, Musk fired former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and authorized affairs and coverage chief Vijaya Gadde shortly after taking up the corporate. Since then, different executives have introduced their departures, together with most just lately Chief Information Security Officer Lea Kissner. Musk additionally reduce 50% of Twitter’s workforce.
According to inside communications obtained by CNBC, three execs concerned in info safety, privateness and compliance all resigned in current days, together with Kissner. In the message, a employee warns that the FTC can and can tremendous Twitter billions of {dollars} if it breaches the consent decree. The writer of the message suggested friends they might attain out to Twitter’s ethics helpline or the FTC in the event that they felt uncomfortable with duties they’re assigned.
The message reminds employees that Twitter’s former safety chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko reached out to nonprofit legislation agency Whistleblower Aid to go public with complaints about Twitter’s safety practices. Whistleblower Aid additionally represented Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and acquired funding from a basis run by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, who has been a significant critic of the Big Tech companies.
The FTC’s newest settlement with Twitter builds on a 2011 settlement binding the corporate to put in affordable privateness safeguards and be accountable for an info safety program. In 2022, when Twitter agreed to pay a $150 million penalty for allegedly deceiving customers about how their cellphone numbers could be used to promote advertisements, the FTC gained new concessions from Twitter about how the corporate could be required to guard person information. Under that order, Twitter agreed to put in an enhanced privateness program and data safety program with particular necessities.
Twitter didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the FTC assertion.
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Source: www.cnbc.com”