The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has concluded that Elon Musk ordered employees of Twitter (now X) to take actions that would violate the FTC consent decree regarding the privacy and security of consumer information. The investigation stems from an episode in late 2022 known informally as “”.Twitter Files,” where Musk ordered employees to allow external writers to access internal documents from company systems. However, the FTC says that Twitter’s security veterans “took appropriate measures to protect consumers’ personal information” and likely ignored Musk’s directive, saving his company from government influence.
FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan discussed the findings public letter Sent to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Tuesday (through The Washington Post). Jordan and his Republican colleagues have tried Turning the FTC’s investigation into a political wedge, framing the inquiry as a violation of free speech — perhaps boosting GOP support from Musk’s legion of rabid supporters. Jordan and his peers have previously described the investigation as an “attempt to harass, intimidate and target American business.”
Khan’s response to Jordan resembles the tone of a patient teacher explaining the nuance of a complex situation to a child who insists on seeing simplified absolutes. “The FTC staff’s efforts to ensure Twitter’s compliance with the Order were appropriate and necessary, particularly given Twitter’s privacy and security history and the fact that it has previously violated the 2011 FTC Order,” Khan wrote.
“When a firm has a history of repeat offenses, the FTC takes special care to ensure compliance with its orders,” the FTC chairman said.
The The FTC’s investigation stemmed from the allegations o Musk, fresh Minted as a Twitter ownerordered staff to give outside writers “full access to everything” by the end of 2022. Had employees followed Musk’s lead, the company would likely have violated an agreement with the FTC (originally from 2011, but renewed in 2022) requiring the company to severely limit access. to consumer information.
In November 2022, the FTC he said After Musk’s purchase, Twitter’s developments were followed by the public with “deep concern”. It follows the resignation of chief information security officer Leah Kissner and other members of the company’s data governance committee. They expressed their concerns about the mask launching a new account verification system It didn’t give them enough time to post the safety reviews the FTC required.
Ultimately, Twitter security veterans ignored Musk’s “full access to everything” order. Khan wrote in the letter: “Twitter’s information security staff has long since intervened and implemented safeguards to mitigate risks.” “The FTC’s investigation confirmed that employees were right to be concerned, given that Twitter’s new CEO directed employees to take actions that would violate the FTC’s Order.”
Instead of giving outside writers the “full access” Musk wanted, Twitter employees logged into systems and leaked selected information to outsiders. “Ultimately, the third-party individuals did not gain direct access to Twitter’s systems, but instead worked with other company employees who accessed the systems on behalf of the individuals,” Khan wrote.
The FTC said it will continue to monitor X’s compliance with the order. “When we heard credible public reports of potential privacy breaches of Twitter users, we quickly launched an investigation,” said FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar. The Washington Post. “The order remains in effect, and the FTC continues to deploy order tools to protect Twitter users’ data and ensure the company remains in compliance.”
