According to a whistleblower statement to US authorities, a former Twitter security head said that the Indian government pressured the social media company to hire a government agent.
Along with other security breach allegations at Twitter, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko brought up the matter with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to a redacted version of the lawsuit posted by the Washington Post and confirmed by Zatko’s attorney at Whistleblower Aid, he claimed that Twitter’s lax security measures would have allowed the government agent access to sensitive user data.
Without going into further detail, a corporate source told Reuters that the claims against the Indian government have already appeared on Twitter.
Requests for comment from the Indian IT ministry’s representatives were not immediately responded.
“What we’ve seen so far is a false narrative about Twitter and our privacy and data security practices that are riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies and lack important context,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement.
India is engaging in unlawful activities and content on Twitter, according to the company’s management.
After asking a local court to reverse several government orders to remove content from the social media site and alleging official abuse of authority, Twitter filed a lawsuit against the Indian government in July.
The case’s next hearing will take place on August 25.
“The company did not in fact disclose to users that it was believed by the executive team that the Indian government had succeeded in placing agents on the company payroll,” Zatko’s complaint noted.
According to Washington Post, the National Security Division of the US Justice Department and the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have received documentation corroborating Zatko’s assertions.
CNN claims that these revelations of Twitter’s carelessness represent a serious threat to democracy and national security.
