Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are pressing Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal to address allegations made by the company’s former security chief in a lengthy whistleblower complaint. In a further letter to Agrawal he reported Committee leaders pressed the CEO to address claims that Twitter’s security practices could harm national security, as well as other issues raised in Peiter “Mudge” Zatko’s complaint.
So far, Twitter has yet to address most of Zatko’s claims in any detail, though company lawyers tried to cast him as a disgruntled former employee during a Delaware trial last week. The letter comes the day before Zatko is due to appear at a Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss his experience as Twitter’s chief security officer.
Agrawal was also “extended an invitation” to appear at the hearing, according to the letter, although he apparently declined the offer. A Twitter spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to national security concerns, Zatko also raised significant concerns regarding Twitter’s ability to counter misinformation and its handling of basic internal security. Zatko also alleges that Twitter misled the Federal Trade Commission and other regulatory agencies.
“These allegations raise serious concerns given Twitter’s significant role in the US communications landscape and its global reach,” Senators Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley write. in the letter. He asks Agrawal to respond by September 26.
The letter is sure to add to the pressure on Twitter, which is also in the midst of a messy legal battle with Elon Musk, who has been trying to get out of his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Last week, a judge ruled that Musk Zatko’s whistleblower complaint added to his legal case.
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