Elon Musk’s Twitter draws deeper FTC scrutiny over rising privacy and security concerns
- The multi-billionaire’s acquisition led to an exodus of many of the social media company’s legal, privacy and compliance executives, prompting the wider investigation
- The investigation marks at least the third time the FTC has scrutinised the social media platform over its privacy and data security practices
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is deepening an investigation it opened this autumn into Twitter’s privacy and data security practices in the wake of the company’s takeover by billionaire Elon Musk, according to people familiar with the matter.
FTC lawyers questioned two former senior executives in the past month about whether Twitter has been able to comply with the agency’s 2011 consent order since Musk took over, said three people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named discussing a confidential investigation. Musk’s October 27 acquisition led to an exodus of many of the social media company’s legal, privacy and compliance executives, prompting the wider investigation.
The FTC had already opened a new inquiry into Twitter after the company’s former chief cybersecurity officer, Peiter Zatko, filed a whistle-blower complaint, said the people. Zatko testified before Congress in September, alleging the platform was a “ticking bomb of security vulnerabilities”.
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Musk’s Twitter also parted ways with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the law firm that formerly represented the company before the FTC and negotiated both the 2011 consent decree and the terms of a related May settlement over a breach of that agreement.
Wilson Sonsini declined to comment.
Roughly 5,000 of Twitter’s 7,500 employees have left the company since Musk assumed control, including the general counsel and chief privacy officer.
FTC lawyers have interrogated two former top Twitter executives in the past month – Damien Kieran, the former chief privacy officer, and Lea Kissner, the most senior cybersecurity officer, the people said. Kieran and Kissner both quit Twitter on November 10, alongside the head of compliance.
The investigation marks at least the third time the FTC has scrutinised the social media platform over its privacy and data security practices. The review could lead to millions of dollars in fines and a new FTC order imposing obligations on Musk himself that would apply across his companies and remain in effect even if he steps down as chief executive officer or leaves Twitter.