The ex-manager of Twitter accused the social network of violating the rules for processing personal data

The former head of security at Twitter, Peter Zatko, accused the social network of allowing violations of the rules for processing users’ personal data, which could threaten their security, writes CNN, citing Zatko’s letter to the US Congress.

According to the statement of the former head of security, Twitter provides access to control systems and even sensitive proprietary information to too many employees. Moreover, Zatko points out, some of the top managers of the company actively tried to hide the existence of problems, and at least one of the employees of the social network, he adds, works for foreign intelligence services.

Additionally, Zatko argues that Twitter cannot securely delete users’ data, even after they have wiped their accounts. In doing so, the company also misled regulators about platform vulnerabilities.

In addition, Zatko noted that the social network simply does not have the resources to determine how many bots work on their site. That is why, he notes, Twitter cannot satisfy the demand of the head of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, who asks for accurate information about the number of bot accounts before buying the company.

Zatko also spoke directly about the current head of the company, Parag Agrawal. According to him, Twitter’s CEO and his deputy several times discouraged him from giving a full report on security issues, demanding that the board of directors first provide an oral report on their initial findings instead of a full written one. Moreover, Agrawal demanded to provide them with deliberately selected or distorted data to create a false impression of the progress of work in the field of cybersecurity.

Zatko himself was fired from Twitter in January 2022. The official reason for the dismissal was “poor performance and poor leadership.” The social network commented on Zatko’s claims, saying that this is “a false story about Twitter and our data privacy and security practices, which is replete with inconsistencies and inaccuracies and lacks important context.” Twitter added that security and privacy are high priorities for the company.

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