{"id":12852,"date":"2022-08-23T14:38:07","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T14:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/08\/23\/twitters-former-security-chief-says-company-lied-about-bots-and-safety\/"},"modified":"2022-08-23T14:38:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T14:38:08","slug":"twitters-former-security-chief-says-company-lied-about-bots-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/08\/23\/twitters-former-security-chief-says-company-lied-about-bots-and-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Twitter\u2019s former security chief says company lied about bots and safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/8\/23\/23317857\/twitter-whistleblower-zatko-security-spam-safety<\/a>
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Twitter has hidden negligent security practices, misled federal regulators about its safety, and failed to properly estimate the number of bots on its platform, according to testimony from the company\u2019s former head of security, the legendary hacker-turned-cybersecurity-expert Peiter \u201cMudge\u201d Zatko. The explosive allegations could have huge consequences, including federal fines and the potential unraveling of Tesla CEO Elon Musk\u2019s bid to buy Twitter. <\/p>\n

Zatko was fired by Twitter<\/a> in January and claims that this was retaliation for his refusal to stay quiet about the company\u2019s vulnerabilities. Last month, he filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that accuses Twitter of deceiving shareholders and violating an agreement it made with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to uphold certain security standards. His complaints, totaling more than 200 pages, were obtained by CNN<\/a> and The Washington Post<\/em><\/a> and published in redacted form this morning. <\/p>\n

In an interview with CNN, Zatko said he joined Twitter in 2020 at the bequest of then-CEO Jack Dorsey, right after the company was hit by a massive hack<\/a> in which accounts belonging to figures like Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Kanye West were compromised. Zatko says he joined Twitter because he believes the platform is a \u201ccritical resource\u201d for the world but became disillusioned by the refusal of CEO Parag Agrawal to tackle the company\u2019s many security failings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis would never be my first step, but I believe I am still fulfilling my obligation to Jack and to users of the platform,\u201d Zatko told The Washington Post <\/em>regarding his decision to become a whistleblower. \u201cI want to finish the job Jack brought me in for, which is to improve the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zatko\u2019s disclosures to the SEC contain many damning reports and accusations, but these are some of the most significant: <\/p>\n