Twitter pays $7 million to silence former security chief
As Elon Musk’s trial looms, Twitter reportedly paid $7 million to keep former security chief Peter Zatko from condemning the platform.
At a hearing this week, Elon Musk’s lawyer said Twitter paid Peter Zatko, who recently resigned, to remain silent. Bloomberg Close sources have confirmed that the above information is accurate. Meanwhile, a Twitter spokesman declined to comment.
WSJ The amount Twitter sent to Zatko was “compensation” after he left the company, the source said. Under the agreement, Zatco may not disclose any information about the company’s activities.
Peter Zatko, Twitter’s former chief security officer. See: CNN
Zatko made some shocking revelations and complained on Twitter late last month. They said the social network has multiple security and privacy vulnerabilities that put users, investors and even US national security at risk. In addition, Twitter management misled the company’s management and board of directors about their problems, he said.
Musk immediately asked the court to send Zatko’s body to testify against him on Twitter. Musk’s attorneys said they would file a second lawsuit alleging Zatco lost $44 billion if the court dismissed their lawsuit based on “multiple fake Twitter accounts.”
On September 8, Judge Catalina SV Delaware Rep. Judd McCormick accepted Field’s second argument. Tesla CEO Zatko said he was concerned about the number of bots on the Twitter platform and the former security chief’s allegations of privacy and security issues.
On the other hand, Twitter’s former security chief has denied the allegations, saying they were intended to harm the company. Twitter spokesman Zatko criticized the company for “doing it wrong”. Zatko was fired earlier this year for “ineffective leadership and poor performance,” the person said.
Zatko is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee next week and has been subpoenaed on Twitter.
Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said, “The problem is that Twitter paid $7 million. If he wants the money, why would he judge the old company? He works for justice.”
Peter Zatko is a well-known personality in the field of security and software. However, during his tenure on Twitter, he has repeatedly sparked controversy by clashing with executives. Although he heads the security department, Zatoko is not directly responsible for the bot’s removal.
The $44 billion trial between Elon Musk and Twitter is scheduled for October 17 in a Delaware court. Both sides have submitted multiple petitions to the court against celebrities and tech companies. One of the witnesses the court sent to testify was former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, a longtime friend of Musk.
Kung Nha (Consequences Bloomberg)