Photo: Adobe Stock
Former Twitter security chief Peiter Zatko testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, criticizing Twitter for “misleading” the “public” and using outdated security practices.
According to the Associated Press, Zatko served as the head of security for Twitter until he was fired earlier this year. In July, he submitted a whistleblower complaint to the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Congress. The Associated Press has reported that Zatko accuses Twitter of falsely claiming it had enacted stronger security measures than it actually had.
Zatko told lawmakers Tuesday, “I’m here today because Twitter leadership is misleading the public, lawmakers, regulators, and even its own board of directors.”
After joining the social media platform as the head of security, Zatko claimed the “enormously influential company” was “over a decade behind” the expected security standards of social media and technology companies. Zatko warned, “The company’s cybersecurity failures make it vulnerable to exploitation, causing real harm to real people.”
Zatko further explained, “When an influential media platform can be compromised by teenagers, thieves, and spies, and the company repeatedly creates security problems on their own, this is a big deal for all of us.”
While Twitter faces the accusations of its former security chief and the scrutiny of both the public and the government, Twitter is also engaged in a lawsuit with Tesla CEO Elon Musk over his announcement that he would step away from his agreement to purchase Twitter.
Musk announced his decision in July, citing Twitter’s reluctance to share accurate information with him concerning the social media platform’s issue with “bot” accounts.
According to the New York Times, Zatko’s testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee could play a major role in the social media platform’s lawsuit with Elon Musk. If both Zatko and Musk prove that the company has a history of providing inaccurate information, it will strengthen Musk’s accusations against Twitter.
President Donald Trump said when asked about returning to Twitter, “They BADLY want me back on Twitter – ZERO INTEREST, it won’t happen.” He added, “Sooo many people are leaving Radical Left Fake Account Twitter for TRUTH.”
With Truth Social rising in popularity and Twitter seemingly declining, it is no surprise that the 45th president remains content on Truth Social.