Elon Musk accuses Twitter of concealing data security flaws
Earlier this week, Peiter Zatko, a former Twitter employee turned whistleblower, made damning revelations about the microblogging site's lax security measures in front of the US Senate. Now, Elon Musk has decided to use Zatko's accusations in his $44 billion legal battle against the company. The Tesla CEO has accused Twitter of concealing serious data security flaws in his amended lawsuit.
Why does this story matter?
Ever since Musk decided to acquire Twitter for $44 billion, we have seen the Musk-Twitter saga unfold in a way that would put Hollywood scriptwriters to shame. In a quite dramatic fashion, a new character (Zatko) has entered the fray with some serious allegations against his former employer. This has made the battle more intriguing. We will soon see how this straightens out.
Musk amended countersuit against Twitter to add Zatko's allegations
The bitter battle between Musk and Twitter received more ammunition after Zatko's claims against Twitter. The billionaire has now amended his countersuit against Twitter to include the former Twitter cybersecurity head's allegations. The amended lawsuit accuses the social media company of concealing serious flaws in its data security, thereby committing fraud. Musk also alleges that Twitter hid the non-compliance with the 2011 FTC agreement.
Musk wants Twitter's former product chief to testify
Musk's team maintains that the new revelations in the amended lawsuit should be enough to let the Tesla CEO walk away from the $44 billion acquisition deal. He also wants Twitter's former product chief Kayvon Beykpour to testify on bot/spam accounts. Meanwhile, Twitter has maintained its stance saying Musk's claims are "factually inaccurate, legally insufficient, and commercially irrelevant."
Why did Musk terminate the deal to acquire Twitter?
The Twitter v/s Musk trial is fast approaching. The legal battle that has the potential to make or break the company will start on October 17. To recall, the saga took a turn for the worse after Twitter reported that the number of bots is less than 5% of its user base. This irked Musk who believed that there are more than 5% bots/spam accounts.
How did Twitter respond to Zatko's allegations?
On its part, Twitter has denied Zatko's claims, saying that they are "riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies." The company has also said that Zatko lost his job because of his ineffective leadership and poor performance.
