Elon Musk will be forced to testify about X," the US government tells the court, in its extensive investigation into X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
The government said that the mass layoffs and other decisions made by Elon Musk raise concerns about X's ability to comply with the law and protect user privacy
The U.S. government's effort to compel Elon Musk to testify is the latest development in an investigation that predates Elon Musk's own acquisition of X Company. The investigation was intensified by Elon Musk's own actions, according to a court filing by the Justice Department on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission.
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In its filing Monday, the court said there are multiple depositions from former executives at X ,including its former chief information security officer and former CEO. These former employees testified that layoffs and resignations that followed Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of the company may have prevented X from fulfilling its obligations under a 2011 FTC consent agreement.
According to testimony described in the filing, the number of employees was significantly reduced after their departures, leaving between 37% and 50% of the company’s security program without effective management and oversight. Additionally, planned upgrades to the company’s security program are “suffering,” the filing states, citing testimony from former chief information security officer Lea Kissner.
In another example, Elon Musk tried to speed up the development of Twitter Blue, a subscription service offered by the company. This led the company's security team to bypass required security and privacy checks that are part of Twitter's policies and that were mandated by the FTC ,according to testimony from Damien Kieran, the company's former privacy chief.
The complaint also alleges that Elon Musk granted access to internal company files to multiple journalists. This access, which has sparked backlash on social media, is seen as politically motivated censorship. Initially, this involved a plan that could potentially lead to the disclosure of users' personal data , in violation of the FTC order.
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According to the filing, Elon Musk's original plan called for providing access via a dedicated company laptop with "privileges beyond what an average employee might have.".
According to the filing, longtime information security employees stepped in and implemented measures to mitigate the risks. However, former employees said doubts were raised about Elon Musk's commitment to privacy and security, even during the process.
X has moved to block Elon Musk from being forced to testify and has asked a federal court to invalidate the FTC's entire order requiring it to protect privacy . X accuses the FTC of asking too many questions in its investigation.
However, in its official statement, the US government pointed out that the request for Elon Musk's deposition makes sense due to the emergence of an "unstable environment" at Company X, where there were "unexpected, radical changes" after the acquisition by Elon Musk.
“The FTC had every reason to seek information about whether these developments indicate a deficiency in X Corp.’s compliance,” the filing said. Confirmed violations of the FTC’s orders could result in billions of dollars in fines for X, as well as potential legal consequences for individual executives, such as Elon Musk, if they are found personally liable for them.
The FTC investigation focuses on claims made by Twitter’s former chief security officer, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, before its acquisition by Elon Musk. The claims allege that Twitter has failed for years to comply with its legally binding obligations to the FTC to protect user privacy and security. The claims were first reported last year by CNN and the Washington Post.
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The investigation has proven to be the subject of political attacks, as Elon Musk – along with his allies, including Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee – have responded to the investigation with public accusations against the FTC, accusing it of harassment and overreach.
Source: edition.cnn.com
