Author: Shannon Bond, Raquel Maria Dillon
Publisher: National Public Radio
Publication Year: 2022
Summary: The following article discusses a recent Senate hearing in which Peiter Zatko, former head of security at Twitter, testified before Congress, bringing up Twitter’s cybersecurity failures and lack of ethical leadership. Zatko accused Twitter of “practicing lax security, neglecting user privacy, [and being] plagued by widespread security issues.” The privacy concerns and potential of misuse of data are especially concerning for Twitter’s high-profile user base, including government leaders and prominent businessmen who regularly use the platform. One important point Zatko brought up is how he believes that Twitter has an incompetent, nonreactive leadership team that values profits over user safety, which is the core issue of its technical vulnerabilities. This brings up the point that it is imperative for all organizations, no matter the size, to establish a company culture that values ethics, and in which all employees adhere to ethical principles, starting with top leadership.