This week, in addition to the news-catching, ongoing dispute between Twitter and Elon Musk, Twitter’s former head of cybersecurity, Peiter Zatko, claimed in a whistleblower filing with several federal agencies that Twitter has “extreme egregious security deficiencies,”  which are being described as “dangerous data privacy and security risks for Twitter users.”

Following Zatko’s claims, he has been summoned to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Twitter is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for how it counts bots, and senators have requested that the FTC start an investigation into whether there has been a violation of consumer protection laws and  determine if Twitter has complied with a previous Consent Order it entered into with the FTC.

Twitter denies the allegations.

Twitter users: wake up! Take a look at Zatko’s allegations and determine, if they are true, whether they have any impact on you and your personal decision to use Twitter.

Twitter users: stay tuned! Follow the proceedings so you can learn more about how large tech companies collect and use your data so you can determine the risks to you and your data and make an informed decision on which platforms to use.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.