Twitter doesn’t have a reputation for being the safest social media platform out there, but things seem to be a lot worse than anyone could assume. This is at least according to the company’s former head of security Peiter “Mudge” Zatko.
CNN reported earlier this week that Zatko sent a disclosure to US Congress and federal agencies in which he accused Twitter of grave cybersecurity negligence. In the disclosure, Zatko says that the company is allowing access to sensitive information to employees who shouldn’t have that clearance, uses outdated software, and has other practices that make it vulnerable to cyber-attacks and leaks of data. He also alleges that the company doesn’t handle information from deleted accounts properly and isn’t motivated to do something about bots and fake accounts on the platform.
Zatko, who made his name as a hacker, was hired by Twitter back in 2020 to help the company deal with mounting cybersecurity issues. However, the company decided to let him go earlier this year due to “poor performances.” Zatko, on the other hand, claims he was fired because he tried to flag various issues with the management.
“Mr. Zatko’s allegations and opportunistic timing appear designed to capture attention and inflict harm on Twitter, its customers, and its shareholders. Security and privacy have long been company-wide priorities at Twitter and will continue to be,” said Twitter in a statement shared with CNN.