More pressure for Elon Musk’s Twitter

This article was last updated on March 8, 2023

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More pressure for Elon Musk’s Twitter

The pressure is mounting on Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter. The US regulator, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is intensifying its ongoing investigation into Twitter’s ability to ensure user privacy, following thousands of layoffs and budget cuts. The European Commission has also advised Musk to hire more moderators to ensure that the company can comply with new EU legislation.

The FTC is looking to include Musk and former employees who have worked on privacy and security in the investigation. They want to know more about the company’s management structure and Musk’s exact role. Twitter was acquired by Musk, who became the owner and CEO of the company.

Twitter is under increased scrutiny due to agreements made with the FTC in 2011. The agreement was extended last year, with Twitter required to conduct regular security tests and report back to the FTC on how it handles sensitive data. Last year, the regulator fined Twitter $150 million, before Musk became the owner.

In Brussels, concerns are rising over whether Twitter can meet its moderation obligations, including message removal and fact-checking. Musk has recently fired many moderators, wanting to cut costs to get the company profitable. However, the European Commission is advising Musk to hire more people to meet new EU legislation requirements.

European Commissioner Breton for the Internal Market has stated that Twitter should employ extra staff to comply with new EU legislation. In response, Twitter said it intends to fully comply with the legislation and has been engaging in “productive talks” with the EU. In January, Musk expressed a desire to rely more on automatic systems for moderation in the future.