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☆ ‘Everything he is saying isn’t true’: Congolese governments denounce Trump’s baseless stories about emptied prisons
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Everything he is saying isn’t true,” Democratic Republic of Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya Katembwe told CNN in a text message on Thursday. Facts First: Trump’s claims are baseless. And federal figures show that there is no “very big” influx of Congolese migrants of any kind, let alone former prisoners in particular. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, keeps making claims about emptied Congolese prisons as he criticizes President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration. Official federal data shows that Congolese migrants in general, not ex-prisoners in particular, represent a tiny fraction of overall arrivals.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, “, ” Serge Mombouli, ”, Joe Biden’s, Trump, “ I’ve, ” Lewis Mudge, Abdoulaye Diarra, Mark Krikorian, Michelle Mittelstadt scoffed Organizations: Washington CNN, Democratic, CNN, PAC, Trump, Fox News, Human Rights, Amnesty International, Patrol, US Customs, Center for Immigration Studies, Policy Institute Locations: Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic, Republic of, Republic of Congo, ’, United States, Central Africa, Congolese, America, “, Mexico, South America

☆ X fails in court to terminate FTC privacy order or block Musk’s deposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The 11-page order by US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixon denies X’s attempt to invalidate a longtime privacy settlement with the FTC that forms the basis for the investigation. For the same reason, Hixon said he could not block the FTC from trying to depose Musk as part of the probe. Questions about whether the company has complied with the 2011 order arose in a significant way in 2022. And the investigation has only intensified since Musk’s takeover of the company, prompting X to protest what it has called government overreach and harassment of Musk. The FTC has said that it is attempting to carry out its mission to ensure X is complying with its legal obligations.

Persons: Elon Musk, Judge Thomas Hixon, Hixon, Musk, Musk’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, X, X didn’t Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Court, Northern, Northern District of, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Twitter, FTC Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ Donald Trump Jr.'s X account was hacked, spokesman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —A spokesman for former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Donald Trump Jr.’s account on X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – had been compromised after the account began sharing a series of unusual and erratic posts. “Don’s account has been hacked,” Andrew Surabian posted on X, adding that a post claiming the former president had died was “obviously not true.”In addition to falsely pronouncing the death of the senior Trump, the compromised account also claimed that Trump Jr. would be running for president himself. Within minutes, the post had been reshared more than 1,000 times on X and viewed hundreds of thousands of times. The incident raises fresh questions about X’s role in securing user accounts, particularly those belonging to high-profile political figures as the platform prepares for the 2024 elections. It is also unclear whether the compromise may have resulted in unauthorized access of Trump Jr.’s private direct messages, or whether Trump Jr. may have had two-factor authentication enabled on his account.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Twitter –, Andrew Surabian, “, Trump, Joe Biden, X, Elon Musk, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos, Biden, Musk Organizations: Washington CNN, Twitter, Trump, Trump Jr, Federal Trade Commission, CNN, Washington Post, Amazon Locations: North Korea

☆ Elon Musk should be forced to testify on X’s ‘chaotic environment,’ US regulator tells court
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Elon Musk should be forced to testify in an expansive US government probe of X, the company formerly known as Twitter, the US government said. The government said mass layoffs and other decisions Musk made raised questions about X’s ability to comply with the law and to protect users’ privacy. Other planned upgrades to the company’s security program were “impaired,” the filing said, citing a deposition by the former chief information security officer, Lea Kissner. In another example, Musk personally tried to rush the rollout of Twitter Blue, the company’s paid subscription service, the filing said. But in its filing, the US government said its interest in Musk’s testimony is well-justified based on the appearance of a “chaotic environment” at X driven by “sudden, radical changes at the company” following Musk’s acquisition.

Persons: Washington CNN — Elon, Musk, Musk’s, didn’t, Lea Kissner, Damien Kieran, —, ”, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko Organizations: Washington CNN, Twitter, Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, X, FTC, X Corp, CNN, Washington Post Locations: House

☆ Twitter asks federal court to terminate 2022 FTC privacy settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Investigators now seek to depose Musk himself, the filing said, calling for the court to intervene to stop the investigation by ending the company’s consent agreement with the FTC. The filing coincided with FTC Chair Lina Khan’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where panel Republicans are expected to grill Khan on her agency’s handling of the investigation. The origins of the FTC probe trace back to allegations first reported by CNN and The Washington Post and made by Twitter’s former head of security, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, last summer. Zatko claimed, in a damning whistleblower disclosure predating Musk’s takeover, that Twitter suffered from deep security vulnerabilities that violated the terms of its FTC agreement. The agreement was first signed in 2011 before being updated in 2022 when regulators accused Twitter of misusing account security information, including user phone numbers, for targeted advertising purposes.

Persons: ”, Elon Musk, Musk, Lina Khan’s, Khan, Twitter’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, Zatko Organizations: Washington CNN, Twitter, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, CNN, Washington Post

☆ US senators question Twitter's FTC compliance under Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The lawmakers asked Musk and Yaccarino to respond to a series of questions about Twitter’s FTC obligations and whether the layoffs and resignations have hindered its ability to comply. Elon Musk under TwitterSince purchasing Twitter, Musk has said he’s laid off more than 6,000 employees, or roughly 80% of the company’s pre-acquisition headcount. Twitter is already under investigation by the FTC for possible breaches of its consent orders. But as both the FTC and now the senators have indicated, Twitter’s behavior under Musk is also covered by the consent agreements. House Republicans have alleged that the FTC probe is intended to “harass” Musk and represents an example of the “weaponization” of the US government.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Ella Irwin, Twitter’s, “ Mr, ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Hawaii Democratic Sen, Mazie, Twitter didn’t, Twitter, he’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, Zatko Organizations: Washington CNN —, Twitter, Federal Trade Commission, CNN, Massachusetts Democratic, Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon Democratic, Hawaii Democratic, FTC, Washington Post, House Republicans Locations: Elizabeth Warren ; Oregon

☆ Everyone in Washington is talking about a TikTok ban. But is it really a national security threat?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

However, more than two years after the Trump administration first issued a similar threat to TikTok, evidence remains unclear about whether the app is a national security threat. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”TikTok has cited Lin’s research as part of its defense. He also repeatedly noted that TikTok does not collect more user data than most of its peers in the industry. TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

☆ Lawmakers say TikTok is a national security threat, but evidence remains unclear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

If there’s a risk, it’s primarily concentrated in the relationship between TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, and Beijing. TikTok has been erecting technical and organizational barriers that it says will keep US user data safe from unauthorized access. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”Are there other security concerns? TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

☆ FTC says it’s conducting an investigation into Twitter’s privacy practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

If proven, violations of Twitter’s consent decree could pave the way for billions in fines, new limitations on Twitter’s operations or potentially even binding obligations on Musk or other executives. “Protecting consumers’ privacy is exactly what the FTC is supposed to do,” said agency spokesman Douglas Farrar. Those allegations prompted a Senate hearing and, as the FTC acknowledged this week, a formal investigation into whether Twitter has breached its commitments. Testifying before the Senate last year, FTC Chair Lina Khan told lawmakers that Twitter’s executives could “absolutely” be held personally accountable if an investigation finds those executives facilitated violations of an FTC consent decree. “No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees,” the FTC said at the time.

☆ Dianne Feinstein won't run in 2024, opening up a California Senate seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California announced Tuesday that she will retire at the end of her current term, setting up a major Democratic competition for her coveted seat. "Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives," Feinstein said in a statement. The fight for the open Senate seat in the powerful, reliably blue state of California promises to be one of the most competitive — and expensive — races of the 2024 election cycle. While Feinstein's announcement officially puts her seat in play for the 2024 election cycle, multiple California Democrats had already launched Senate campaigns weeks earlier. More California Democrats, including Reps. Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna, are expected to announce their Senate campaign plans soon.

☆ Exclusive: Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 explores sale -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Milana Vinn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Twitter Inc.'s former security chief Peiter "Mudge" Zatko testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoFeb 1 (Reuters) - Rapid7 Inc (RPD.O), the cybersecurity firm that hired Twitter Inc whistleblower Peiter Zatko last month, is exploring options that include a possible sale after attracting acquisition interest, according to people familiar with the matter. The Boston-based company is working with investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) as it considers approaches from parties that include private equity firms, the sources said. Rapid7 specializes in so-called vulnerability management, providing software tools and services that help businesses assess and monitor security risks. Rapid7 said last month it had hired Zatko, a former hacker who served as Twitter's head of security until his firing in January 2022, as a part-time consultant.

☆ Hackers post email addresses linked to 200 million Twitter accounts, security researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Email addresses linked to more than 200 million Twitter profiles are currently circulating on underground hacker forums, security experts say. The apparent data leak could expose the real-life identities of anonymous Twitter users and make it easier for criminals to hijack Twitter accounts, the experts warned, or even victims’ accounts on other websites. The trove of leaked records also includes Twitter users’ names, account handles, follower numbers and the dates the accounts were created, according to forum listings reviewed by security researchers and shared with CNN. Troy Hunt, a security researcher, said Thursday that his analysis of the data “found 211,524,284 unique email addresses” that had been leaked. The account data could also be valuable to hackers who can use the information as part of password-reset attempts and account takeovers.

☆ Remote Workers Are Blowing the Whistle, Employees Exposing Companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Britta Lokting | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission — which implemented a whistleblower program in 2011 and where Haugen and others have sent documents — has received a historic jump in complaints over the past few years. How remote work sparked a flood of whistleblowersAs the pandemic spread and workers retreated to their makeshift home offices, employees began to reconsider their relationship with work. MacGann, the Uber whistleblower, told Politico that it wasn't until the pandemic that he "had time on his hands" to really ponder his decision to come forward about the ride-hailing company's treatment of workers. Remote work, she explained, helps to remove some of those barriers to whistleblowing. In addition to the record-breaking number of tips, the SEC whistleblowing program awarded $229 million in 103 cases this year.

A former Twitter employee found guilty of spying on users on behalf of the Saudi royal family has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. He was sentenced Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The Justice Department has said it believes that another former Twitter employee accused of accessing user accounts and a man accused of helping the Saudi government with the scheme have fled to Saudi Arabia to evade American authorities. The Saudi government severely penalizes anti-government expression on social media sites like Twitter. In April, courts sentenced Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi citizen and 34-year-old mother of two children, to 34 years in prison for tweets protesting the government.

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Top Senate Republican Chuck Grassley urged Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter, to conduct a threat assessment at the social company to better protect U.S. user data, following up on concerns raised by a whistleblower. read moreIn a letter to Musk dated Tuesday and released on Wednesday, Grassley, the top Republican on the U.S. Judiciary Committee, asked Twitter to perform a threat assessment "of Twitter's current security posture and systems to better protect user data and privacy." "Twitter collects vast amounts of data on American citizens. Zatko testified that a foreign agent could use malware to steal Twitter users personal information, and use that to gain access to sensitive data on the person's phone, among other dangers. According to Grassley, Agrawal did not respond to the letter, citing litigation with Musk.

☆ Wall Street titan Apollo has a new class of dealmakers. Here's how 3 rose to partner while in their 30s.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Casey Sullivan | Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

He persevered through the brutal all-nighters, the perplexing spreadsheets, and the temperamental bosses who walked the halls of the midtown Manhattan investment firm. At Apollo, executives tend to grow up quickly. Some of their former colleagues have tried to make more money elsewhere, such as the hedge funds run by billionaire personalities that Apollo's executives quietly root against. Associates sometimes dealt with burnout from heavy workloads and demanding bosses by escaping for a walk through Central Park to let off steam, according to the former firm associates. We're Rayman Apollo!'"

☆ Should I delete my DMs? What Twitter has on you, and what you can and can't do about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Lora Kolodny | Kevin Collier | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It's not that easy to delete your direct messages on Twitter . Private communications sent between individuals or to groups through Twitter's "Messages" system, commonly known as direct messages, can only be eliminated if all the people involved in the conversation delete those messages, according to Twitter's system. That means users looking to delete their DMs will need to make sure all of their counterparts do so as well. Twitter has never encrypted its direct messages, despite calls from cybersecurity activists to do so. Cutler recommended that Twitter users proceed with caution.

An image of new Twitter owner Elon Musk is seen surrounded by Twitter logos in this photo illustration in Warsaw, Poland on 08 November, 2022. "We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern," an FTC spokesperson said in a statement. Since then, other executives have announced their departures, including most recently Chief Information Security Officer Lea Kissner. According to internal communications obtained by CNBC, three execs involved in information security, privacy and compliance all resigned in recent days, including Kissner. Under that order, Twitter agreed to install an enhanced privacy program and information security program with specific requirements.

☆ Twitter’s cybersecurity chief quits amid company turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I’ve made the hard decision to leave Twitter,” Kissner tweeted. Their resignation was the latest example of the internal turmoil that has rocked Twitter following mass layoffs at the company. It could even put Twitter’s own employees in legal jeopardy, the message suggested, after the employee claimed Musk was unconcerned about Twitter’s potential liability before the FTC. The message outlined plans at Twitter to devolve FTC compliance responsibilities to the individual workers remaining at the company. “This will put huge amount of personal, professional and legal risk onto engineers,” the message warned, according to The Verge.

Twitter, a social network with hundreds of millions of users, “was over a decade behind industry security standards,” he later testified. His concerns, raised privately at first and later in a whistleblower disclosure that became public, would upend one of the world’s most influential social networks and raise new questions about its pending acquisition by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. A big part of the issue, Zatko told a Senate panel, was that software and e-commerce companies “want to ignore problems as long as possible. When he was hired to join Twitter, Zatko framed the move in terms of the public good. “This wasn’t my first choice,” he previously told CNN.

☆ Elon Musk is under federal investigation over his Twitter deal, Twitter claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN Business —Federal authorities are investigating Elon Musk in connection with his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, the social media platform said in a court filing Thursday. Twitter’s filing merely said authorities are looking into Musk’s “conduct” linked to the deal. Twitter sued Musk to complete the acquisition, accusing the billionaire of using bots as a pretext to exit a deal that he developed buyer’s remorse over following a market decline. “Twitter’s executives are under federal investigation,” Spiro said in a statement to CNN. “Twitter did not ask Zatko to torch his own documents, much less demand that he do so,” Twitter’s filing read.

☆ Elon Musk's battle with Twitter shows that even the brashest, loudest leaders can face a reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Ebony Flake | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Now, though, his latest fight with Twitter shows the perils of always leading with bravado: While scandal is unlikely to sink the CEO, he's making extra work for himself — more than he usually does. Musk's negotiations to buy Twitter were subsequently halted when he pushed for concessions the platform was unwilling to give. Duncan Levin, a criminal defense attorney who represents controversial clients, such as Harvey Weinstein, Clare Bronfman, and Anna Delvey, told Insider: "No one is scandal-proof. Musk's ability to bounce back from repercussions is the result of a complex interplay of a fierce, cultlike fandom and his transformational leadership style, experts told Insider. What's more, he's highly intelligent and ahead of most people, a former manager at Tesla previously told Insider.

☆ Elon Musk's own data scientists couldn't find many bots on Twitter, and he hid that crucial information, the company says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Grace Kay | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The firm Cyabra told Musk it estimated Twitter to possibly have 11% bots or fake accounts. That's very different from Musk's estimates. "None of these analyses remotely supported what Mr. Musk told the Twitter parties and told the world in the termination letter he served up on July 8." Musk claims this amounts to fraud and allows him to walk away from the acquisition cost-free. Legal experts are unconvinced that any of Musk's claims are strong enough to win this case.

Earlier court filings had indicated Musk would be deposed starting on Sept. 26, while a filing Saturday said Agrawal was also due to be questioned starting Monday morning. That day, Musk’s team learned of Agrawal’s rescheduling, the person said. Agrawal’s deposition could be a chance for Musk’s team to question him about Zatko’s whistleblower allegations. Agrawal also turned down an invitation to testify at a Senate committee hearing alongside Zatko earlier this month citing the litigation with Musk, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley. Twitter and Musk are set to go to trial over the acquisition dispute in mid-October.

☆ Elon Musk will be forced to acquire Twitter for $44 billion, says a top M&A legal expert who warns that the billionaire is 'in trouble' as he heads to court
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has spent the past few months trying to get out of his agreement to acquire Twitter. Musk needs only to convince Judge Kathaleen McCormick of one of his claims, while Twitter needs to convince her of all of its claims. Musk can appeal the ruling, and likely will, but he will almost certainly still be forced to buy Twitter, Miller said. Musk knew Twitter has some "bots" and even stated in the press release announcing the deal that he would "defeat" them. "Musk could probably go to Mars and try do this under Martian law and have a better chance than going to Texas law," Miller said.

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