Is the personal data we trust Twitter secure enough? This is a question that may arise after reading the revelations published in an article published in the Washington Post. The US media is relaying a complaint filed in July in the US with the SEC (the regulator of US financial markets) and the Department of Justice by Peter Zatko. The notorious hacker, known by the alias “Maj”, served as director of IT security at Twitter until January 2022. In his complaint, Peter Zatko denounces the misconduct from an IT security standpoint. He accuses Twitter of not honoring an agreement the platform made with the FTC (or Federal Trade Commission) 11 years ago. The platform has sought to strengthen the security of its platform. The complaint concerns outdated and vulnerable software used by some of the servers, or the fact that thousands of employees have extensive and poorly monitored access to the Twitter software. And this would already lead to the hacking of accounts of public persons. According to the 80-page complaint on which the Washington Post article is based, there are “extreme and egregious shortcomings.”
Twitter bots and spam
Security concerns aside, these revelations could also impact the ongoing legal battle between Twitter and Elon Musk. Indeed, the Tesla boss wants to withdraw from the agreement to take over the microblogging platform, citing a problem with counting Twitter bots and spam accounts. In May, Twitter CEO Parag Argrawal defended himself by explaining that the company was trying to remove as much spam as possible. But according to the former security chief, that would be a lie. Peter Zatko explains that the company is more in favor of user growth and that leaders will be rewarded, via owned by bonus to increase this number.
Network response social
Of course, Twitter denies everything. Here’s what the company said, citing CNBC: “What we’ve seen so far is a false narrative about Twitter and our data privacy and security practices that is riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies and lack of important context. The allegations of Peter Zatko and son random timing appears, designed to attract attention and harm Twitter, its customers and shareholders. Security and privacy have long been, and will continue to be, company-wide priorities at Twitter. Will Twitter have to deal with a scandal like Cambridge Analytica? In any case, these accusations cannot be taken lightly by the US authorities.
