WASHINGTON — Seven Democratic senators known as for the Federal Commerce Fee on Thursday to analyze whether or not Twitter had violated a privateness settlement with the company since Elon Musk took over the corporate.
In a letter to Lina Khan, the chair of the F.T.C., the lawmakers mentioned they have been apprehensive that Mr. Musk’s “reported modifications to inside opinions and information safety practices additional put shoppers in danger” and that Twitter had damaged the phrases of a 2011 authorized settlement with the regulator.
The senators who signed the letter included Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
A spokesman for the F.T.C. declined to remark. The company beforehand mentioned it was “monitoring latest developments at Twitter with deep concern.” Twitter didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Mr. Musk, who accomplished a $44 billion buyout of Twitter final month, has upended the social media firm. He has slashed 50 p.c of the corporate’s work power, instituted modifications to the location’s verification program and sought to quell fears amongst advertisers in regards to the route of the service. On Wednesday, he informed remaining workers in an e mail that that they had a deadline of 5 p.m. Japanese on Thursday to resolve whether or not they needed to remain or go away the corporate.
Twitter had agreed to a settlement with the F.T.C. in 2011 over privateness violations, which requires the corporate to submit common studies about its privateness practices and open its doorways to audits. However final week, a number of of its safety executives resigned a day earlier than a deadline for Twitter to submit a report back to the F.T.C.
In inside messages later that day, an worker wrote in regards to the resignations and recommended that inside privateness opinions of Twitter’s merchandise beneath Mr. Musk weren’t continuing as they need to beneath the F.T.C. settlement. Mr. Musk later informed workers that the corporate would adjust to the F.T.C. settlement.
Of their letter to the F.T.C., the lawmakers raised issues in regards to the executives’ departures, in addition to Mr. Musk’s modifications to the verification program for Twitter accounts, which they mentioned had been a boon to scammers on the web site.
“We urge the fee to vigorously oversee its consent decree with Twitter and to convey enforcement actions in opposition to any breaches or enterprise practices which can be unfair or misleading, together with bringing civil penalties and imposing legal responsibility on particular person Twitter executives the place applicable,” the lawmakers mentioned.
