Twitter has serious security problems. So serious that it can pose a threat to the personal information of its users, to the company’s shareholders, to national security and to democracy. This is what the former head of social security reveals in an exclusive interview with CNN and the Washington Post.
The informant, who has agreed to be publicly identified, is Peiter Mudge Zatko. He was responsible for the safety of the company, reporting directly to the CEO. Zatko claims that Twitter’s leadership has deceived its own board of directors and government regulators about its security vulnerabilities, including some that could open the door to foreign espionage or manipulation, hacking and disinformation campaigns. Zatko was fired for poor job performance, regardless of the company’s motivations.
Zatko also argues that Twitter does not securely delete user data after deleting their accounts, in some cases because the company has lost track of the information, and that it has misled US regulators on this. The whistleblower also believes that Twitter executives have neither the resources nor a real interest in understanding the real number of bots on the platform. The topic is hot, considering that bots are the official reason why Elon Musk would have asked to cancel his offer of 44 billion dollars for the purchase of the company. Twitter denies, although it does not yet provide convincing numbers, but meanwhile, Zatko’s revelations have suspicious timing.
The revelation, sent to Congress and federal agencies last month, traces a chaotic picture in a poorly managed company, allowing too many employees to access the platform’s vital controls and more sensitive information. All without any supervision. It is also alleged that some of the company’s older executives have tried to cover up Twitter’s serious vulnerabilities and that one or more current employees may be working for a foreign intelligence service. An alarming picture. Twitter in the pre-market on the Nasdaq loses 5%. And a very tough stock market session is expected for social media.