Twitter's former head of information security claims he was sacked for voicing concerns over budget cuts ordered by Elon Musk's team
Shortly after Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, Musk's leadership team pushed for economy measures in both physical and digital security. These budget cuts could potentially hinder Twitter's ability to comply with numerous regulatory requirements and pose a threat to public safety, the lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of Alan Rosa, Twitter's ex-global head of information security and technology, claims.
Following his raised concerns about the risks associated with such layoffs, Rosa alleges he was relieved of his daily responsibilities, suddenly unable to use corporate systems and dismissed without explanation or reason.
Rosa alleges that Musk's firm breached his contract and terminated him unlawfully. After signing a confidentiality agreement, Rosa attempted to resolve the matter through private mediation, however, Musk's company declined participation, the complaint reads.
A representative from Musk's company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before Musk took ownership of Twitter, the company agreed to pay a $150 million fine in November 2021 for misleading consumers over consumer data protection, violating an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2011. In 2022, the company was also accused by a former manager and whistleblower of cybersecurity weaknesses and ongoing non-compliance with an FTC agreement from 2011.
Legal experts raised concerns in the days following Musk's takeover that Twitter may again breach its changes-of-control agreement with the FTC if it failed to comply with necessary notifications within 14 days of the acquisition, which the FTC declined to comment on.
Rosa's complaint, filed from January 2022 in his capacity of information security responsible for the company, sheds new light on the extent of budget cuts by Musk and the new leadership team he appointed after the buyout.
Shortly after the acquisition, Musk dismissed 50% of Twitter's staff. Steve Davis, Musk's Boring Company CEO, was hired to serve as a "senior advisor" and take the helm of several departments, the lawsuit states. (The Boring Company did not immediately return Davis' request for comment.)
According to the complaint, Davis opposed the Twitter FTC Consent Order, started limiting Twitter's products and services that upheld that order, and refused to pay for necessary software tools, including vulnerability management software and ethical hacking programs, to maintain compliance. Davis also pressured Rosa to shut off Twitter's systems that supplied critical, time-sensitive information to law enforcement agencies, potentially violating the Digital Services Act of the European Union, the complaint reads.
Days later, Davis reportedly instructed Rosa to drastically reduce Twitter's physical security budget within hours.
"The plaintiff immediately raises objections against such a practice as he possesses sufficient funds to facilitate immediate budget cuts, which would put the physical building at risk of non-compliance with the court order and constitute the basis of this lawsuit," the complaint stated, highlighting "a significant threat to public safety."
After raising objections, Davis allegedly rescinded his oversight of the physical security team, and five days later Rosa was terminated without warning, as his access to the company's systems was withdrawn without explanation.
Rosa is seeking compensation, a $200,000 bonus, over $300,000 in stock awards, and other benefits, alleging he was pushed out after Twitter started complaining about a supposed "sham investigation." He declined the money in relation to his professional conduct.
Sentence Reorganization & Synonym Use:
Despite concerns over regulatory compliance and public safety, Elon Musk's leadership team demanded budget cuts to Twitter's physical and digital defenses, alleges the lawsuit. The ex-global head of information security and technology at Twitter, Alan Rosa, was terminated following his worries about the repercussions of potential layoffs, the complaint reads.
Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in late 2022 was met with cost-cutting measures from his leadership team, possibly jeopardizing compliance and posing significant risks to public safety, according to a lawsuit. In January 2022, Alan Rosa, then responsible for information security, claims he was dismissed without explanation following his concerns about these measures.
In response to budget cuts imposed by Elon Musk's team, Peiter Zatko, a former Twitter security officer, accused Twitter executives of making false statements about privacy and security, which led to his termination. Zatko's lawsuit alleges regulatory violations and SEC disclosure rules breaches.
Enrichment Data Integration:
The allegations made in the lawsuit against Elon Musk and Twitter by whistleblower Peiter Zatko, former Twitter security officer, include false or misleading statements, refusal to turn over spambot account data, data privacy concerns, and potential layoffs and restructuring plans.
[1] Source: edition.cnn.com [2] Source: DOGE's handing of sensitive financial data and personal information [3] Source: Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
