Sens Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Mazie Hirono, and Elizabeth Warren sent a warning to Twitter’s top executives that certain measures done following the social media platform’s takeover by billionaire businessman Elon Musk pose a threat to data privacy.
The senators made the warning in a letter addressed to Musk and Linda Yaccarino, the company’s incoming CEO.
Data Privacy in Question
The four Democratic senators claim that the platform’s commitment to data protection may have been compromised by the company’s massive layoffs, insufficient internal privacy assessments, and rushed redesign of its subscription service.
The letter, dated Friday, appears to have been written soon after two key executives in charge of data privacy—Head of Trust and Safety Ella Irwin and Head of Brand Safety and Ad Quality A.J. Brown—reportedly announced their resignations last week.
The senators expressed their worry that Twitter might have broken a consent agreement the business signed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2011. The consent order forbade Twitter from deceiving users about how well it protects user data for the ensuing 20 years.
FTC Complaint
The business paid $150 million to settle an FTC complaint in May of last year, months before Musk bought Twitter, charging that it had violated the consent decree by gathering user data for security purposes and utilizing it to improve targeted advertising.
But even before Mr. Musk’s takeover, the senators claimed that Twitter already had a poor track record regarding consumer privacy protection. Unfortunately, the senators further claim, Twitter continues to disregard consumer privacy despite the FTC’s action.
In an interview with Twitter Spaces in December, Musk labeled his endeavor to save the company from financial ruin as an “emergency fire drill.”
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