WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2022) Seven Democratic senators sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday requesting it open an investigation into billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and whether he is undermining the integrity and safety of the social media platform.
"We write regarding Twitter's serious, willful disregard for the safety and security of its users, and encourage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate any breach of Twitter's consent decree or other violations of our consumer protection laws," the lawmakers said.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, and the other five lawmakers, also underscored their concern that Musk's drastic change in company policy may potentially violate the FTC's consent decree, which prohibits misrepresentation and requires that Twitter keep a comprehensive information security program.
The lawmakers pointed out that Musk's significant policy changes may make the platform vulnerable to abuse with fraud, scams and misinformation.
Lawmakers are concerned this abuse was evident when Musk introduced a new verification system, according to which users can now receive a verification mark for $7.99 a month. The system has since been paused, but a new one will be reintroduced on November 29 after users began to impersonate other public officials, which confused much of the public.
Musk's takeover also led to the resignation of Twitter executives who were responsible for the platform's privacy and cybersecurity, the letter said.
Musk changed the company's day-to-day operations, including the termination of Twitter's previous chief executive Parag Agrawal, and thousands of regular Twitter employees.
Musk finalized the acquisition of Twitter on 28 October, which cost him $44 billion.
