Ο Elon Musk will be forced to testify about his "chaotic environment" Χ, says the US government in court in an extensive investigation into X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
The government said the mass layoffs and other decisions made by Elon Musk raise concerns about X's ability to comply with the law and protect privacy of the users.
The US government's attempt to force Elon Musk to testify is the latest development in an investigation that predates Elon Musk's acquisition of X Company. The investigation was intensified due to the actions of Elon Musk himself, according to court filings by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission.
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In its testimony on Monday, the court said, there are many statements from former X company, including the former head of information security and the former director. These former employees testified that the firings and resignations that followed Musk's $44 billion acquisition of the company may have prevented X from fulfilling its obligations as stated in the 2011 consent agreement with the FTC.
According to the testimony described in the deposition, the number of employees decreased significantly after their departures, leaving a 37% to 50% percentage of the corporate security program without effective management and oversight. In addition, the planned updates in the company's security program are "suffering," the filing said, citing a deposition of former chief information security officer Lea Kissner.
In another example, Elon Musk tried to accelerate the Development of the service Twitter Blue, a subscription service provided by the company. This led the company's security team to bypass the required security and privacy controls that are part of Twitter's policies and that were mandated by the committee FTC, according to the testimony of Damien Kieran, the former head of privacy.
The complaint also states that Elon Musk gave access to internal company files to several journalists. This access, which is causing a backlash on social media, is believed to contain elements of politically motivated censorship. Initially, this involved a scheme that could potentially lead to the disclosure of personal data users, in violation of the FTC's order.
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According to the filing, Elon Musk's plan originally envisioned providing access through a dedicated company laptop with "privileges that go beyond what an average employee might have."
According to the testimony, longtime information security officials intervened and implemented measures to reduce the risks. However, the former employees said doubts were raised about Elon Musk's commitment to privacy and Security, even during the procedure.
X has moved to prevent Elon Musk from being forced to testify and has asked a federal court to vacate the FTC's entire order requiring it to protect the Privacy of the users. 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 testimony makes sense due to the emergence of a "volatile environment" at Company X, where there have been "unexpected, radical changes" following the acquisition by Elon Musk.
"The FTC had every reason to seek information on whether these developments indicate a deficiency in X Corp.'s compliance," the filing said. Confirmed violations of the FTC's orders could lead to fines estimated in the billions of dollars for X, as well as potential legal consequences for individual executives, such as Elon Musk, if they are held personally liable for them.
The FTC's investigation focuses on claims stemming from Twitter's former chief security officer, Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, and prior to his acquisition by Elon Musk. These claims allege that Twitter has not complied for years with its legally binding obligations to the FTC to protect user privacy and security. These claims were first reported last year by CNN and the Washington Post.
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Η Research has turned out to be the subject of political attacks, as Elon Musk - along with his allies, including Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee - responded to the investigation with public accusations against the FTC, accusing it of harassment and overreach.
Source: edition.cnn.com
