A person uses the Twitter app on an iPhone (Andrew Matthews/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)A former Twitter exec has accused the company of jeopardising personal and national security with its information handling policies in the latest blow for the social media company as it wrestles with Elon Musk in court over his abandoned takeover deal.
Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, who was Twitter’s head of security until he left in January, alleged the firm doesn’t delete users’ data after they deactivate their accounts, and has cybersecurity policies that expose it to hacking and disinformation by state aggressors, according to documents obtained by CNN.
The fiery allegations were made as part of whistleblower submissions made to US government agencies. Congressional committee leaders say they are investigating the submissions.
Billionaire Elon Musk is understood to have summed Zatko to appear as part of his legal battle with Twitter, in which the Tesla boss accused the company of failing to provide accurate information about the number of fake and ‘bot’ accounts on the platform.
Musk has said the lack of information prompted him to walk away from his $44 billion offer to take the company private. Twitter are hoping to force through the deal, and has already spent over $30 million in relation to the deal.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who supported Musk’s original buyout offer, has also been asked to appear in court.
According to a CNN reporter, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal wrote to employees in reaction to the concerns raised by Zatko, describing them as “a false narrative that is riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and presented without important context.”
“Mudge was accountable for many aspects of this work that he is now inaccurately portraying more than six months after his termination,” Agrawal said.
Twitter shares are down 35% over the past year. In its most recent quarterly report, the social media giant reported a worse-than-expected loss of $270 million (228 million) amid a softening of demand for online advertising.
