Twitter whistleblower alleges platform prioritized growth over safety

Whistleblower and former head of cybersecurity Peiter "Mudge" Zatko has come forth with damning allegations that the company continues to operate with myriad security and privacy issues.

According to Zatko's complaint, sent to Congress and federal agencies in July and eventually published by the Washington Post on Tuesday, he "uncovered extreme, egregious deficiencies by Twitter" as an employee in areas relating to "user privacy, digital and physical security, and platform integrity/content moderation."

He also alleged that Twitter violated the terms of a 2011 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission by not instituting a proper security plan.

He described the company as "a chaotic and rudderless," and "beset by infighting, unable to properly protect its 238 million daily users including government agencies, heads of state and other influential public figures."

Zatko alleged that in 2021, he compiled a comprehensive report on "extensive" security issues within the company, but was instructed not to share his findings with the Board of Directors. He also witnessed several senior executives allegedly "engaging in deceitful and/or misleading communications affecting Board members, users and shareholders."

As CNBC reports, Zatko alleged that in order to receive bonuses, executives prioritized user growth over reducing spam, including bots, which have become a point of contention amid the company's ongoing legal battle with Elon Musk.

He cited CEO Parag Agrawal's conversations with Musk about Twitter's handling of bots as examples of executives peddling misleading information.

Zatko had originally been hired directly by former CEO Jack Dorsey, who sought him out for his decades of work in the field of cybersecurity, including a stint at the Pentagon.

He was terminated in January by Agrawal just days after working to document evidence of fraud within the company.

In a statement to CNBC, Twitter claimed that Zatko had been fired due to "ineffective leadership and poor performance," accusing him of spreading a "false narrative" about Twitter's practices that is "riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies." They went on to suggest he was only going public to "capture attention."