Employees saved Musk from himself over Twitter Files
- Reference: 1708617630
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/02/22/twitter_staffers_saved_musk/
- Source link:
When Twitter was Twitter and not X, several journalists published documents regarding the company's activities before it was acquired by Musk, including the workings of the company's moderation and policy teams. The documents became known as the Twitter Files.
The FTC got involved not because of the content of the documents but because of the apparently unfettered access given to the journalists by the company's new boss, Elon Musk, and fears over data protection.
[1]
According to the [2]letter [PDF] from FTC chair Lina Khan: "Elon Musk had reportedly directed staff to grant an outside third-party individual 'full access to everything at Twitter ... No limits at all'."
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Twitter Files aside, Twitter holds a plethora of personal information, from customer contact details to direct messages. And it was a [5]previous offender when it came to safeguarding personal information, and so the FTC was keeping a close eye on monitoring compliance with its orders to protest US citizen's data.
As such, the FTC began looking into Musk's boasts of access and found that, in actual fact, direct access had not been given despite Musk's orders demands.
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"Based on a concern that such an arrangement would risk exposing non-public user information in potential violation of the FTC's Order, longtime information security employees at Twitter intervened and implemented safeguards to mitigate the risks."
[7]X accused of taking money from terrorists by selling checkmarks to US enemies
[8]Elon Musk can't wriggle out of SEC Twitter fraud inquiry
[9]Twitter spinout Bluesky ends invite-only phase and opens its doors to all comers
[10]X hiring 100 content cops in bid to tame Wild West of online safety
What actually happened was that company employees accessed Twitter's systems on behalf of the third parties.
The staff were "right to be concerned," according to the letter, "given that Twitter's new CEO had directed employees to take actions that would have violated the FTC's Order."
Musk had indeed been saved from himself. Or at least from a potential hefty fine from the FTC.
The letter does not note the fate of the staffers who saved Musk's bacon. However, it does respond to a query regarding why the FTC was looking into Musk's takeover and the resignations that occurred shortly after he acquired the platform.
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"Simply put, there was no one left at the company responsible for interpreting and modifying data policies and practices to ensure Twitter was complying with the FTC's Order to safeguard Americans' personal data."
Twitter attempted to get the FTC order eliminated but failed in court. "The public interest is served by Twitter continuing to abide by its legal commitments under the Order," said Khan in the letter, "which include Twitter's agreement not to lie to consumers, the requirement to maintain a comprehensive program to protect consumers' information, and the requirement to offer enhanced account security features in a non-deceptive manner." ®
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[2] https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/letterresponsekhanjordan20240221.pdf
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[5] https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2011/03/ftc-accepts-final-settlement-twitter-failure-safeguard-personal-information-0
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[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/16/x_may_be_violating_sanctions/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/12/musk_sec_twitter_fraud/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/06/bluesky_social_media_opens/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/29/x_moderation_hiring/
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[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: "longtime information security employees at Twitter intervened"
“ which include Twitter's agreement not to lie to consumers”
The order I found was in 2010:
https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2011/03/110311twitterdo.pdf
It reads Like a SOX requirement except a rider that you will protect CUSTOMERS privacy. Not Twitters internal policies. I would love to see the internal twitter policy that was required by the FTC
In theory, I think Elon was probably trying to do what he thought was right. After all, he proudly touts free speech*. The best way to at least appear to support that concept is stop blocking anything.
The problem is that some of the info Twitter held is private, and needs to remain so. For legal reasons, and in some cases, safety. We don't (and can't) have totally free speech. We have free speech with restrictions. That applies in the UK, and it applies in the US as well (try posting something classified in America, and see how far the 1st amendment gets you).
*I know he touts it, but his own actions suggest he doesn't really believe in it because although he says he will allow people to post even if he disagrees with them (a laudable aim and something I try and do when in a moderating role), a surprising number of people he doesn't agree with have been banned from X.
Fine him anyway
But not X/Twitter, just him. He did, after all, order a direct, willful violation of the FTC order. So it's an intentional attempt to violate the law, which is prosecutable, even if his employees were too smart to obey him.
"longtime information security employees at Twitter intervened"
And that's why they were fired.