Twitter chaos deepens as key executives quit

Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter descended ever deeper into chaos on Thursday as key security executives resigned from the platform, drawing a sharp warning from US regulators.

The walkouts came a day after the turbulent launch of new features introduced by Tesla and SpaceX owner Musk following his $44 billion buyout of the influential messaging app.

Musk on Thursday warned employees that the site was burning dangerously through cash, raising the specter of bankruptcy if the situation was not turned around.

"I've made the hard decision to leave Twitter," tweeted chief security officer Lea Kissner, who reportedly stepped down with other key privacy or security executives.

In the most extraordinary exit, US media reported that Yoel Roth, the site's head of trust and safety stepped down just a day after staunchly defending Musk's content moderation policy to advertisers.

Also out was Robin Wheeler, who held a key role linking Twitter with advertisers and was considered a key Musk ally inside the company.

The convulsions followed the unveiling of the site's long-awaited Twitter Blue subscription service, which allows users to pay $7.99 per month for a coveted blue tick, as well as a separate gray "official" badge for some high-profile accounts.

But the release descended into tumult on Wednesday when Musk scrapped the new gray label almost immediately, overshadowing the launch of the pay service, which is currently only available on the mobile app on iPhones and in the United States.

The launch also saw the emergence of a flurry of fake accounts as users used the opportunity to impersonate celebrities and politicians such as NBA star LeBron James or former British prime minister Tony Blair.

- 'Deep concern' -

The chaos drew a rare warning from the Federal Trade Commission, the US authority that oversees consumer safety which had put Twitter under watch for past security and privacy breaches.

"We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern," a spokesperson for the FTC said in a statement.

"No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees," the spokesperson added, referring to past commitments by Twitter to obey US privacy rules.

Violating FTC decisions could cost Twitter millions of dollars in fines.

The 51-year-old entrepreneur fired half of the 7,500 employees of the California company a week ago, 10 days after buying the site and becoming its sole owner.

For the first time since the layoffs, Musk on Thursday addressed his remaining employees and urged them to help the site reach one billion users, according to employee text messages seen by AFP.

Musk also warned that the company was bleeding cash and expressed fear about the effects of the poor economy on his newly bought business.

"You may have noticed I sold a bunch of Tesla stock. The reason I did that is to save Twitter," he is reported to have said.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives meanwhile warned that the Twitter episode could have serious repercussions for electric car manufacturer Tesla.

"Brand destruction is our biggest worry with this Twitter circus show. It's that simple and I can't ignore it for Tesla stock," Ives wrote on the site.

Twitter is also crippled by the decision of advertisers to stay away from the platform, concerned about Musk's plans.

The tycoon announced he was ending work-from-home policies at Twitter, which had been a widespread practice at the San Francisco-based company.

"If you don't show up at the office, resignation accepted," he told employees.

Fact Check: How to spot impostor Twitter accounts
Washington (AFP) Nov 10, 2022 - The rollout of Twitter's subscription service has prompted a string of accounts impersonating public figures, sparking concerns about the potential for scams and disinformation.

Multiple accounts posing as politicians, celebrities and corporate brands have been suspended after being identified as inauthentic.

The impostors had paid the $7.99 required to display a verified blue tick -- an identifier previously reserved for notable people or institutions -- under changes brought in by new Twitter owner Elon Musk.

There are steps people can take to determine whether a Twitter account with a blue checkmark is authentic, including checking the account's handle, creation date and how many followers it has -- and noting who is following it.

For example, one account purported to show NBA star Lebron James requesting a trade from his team. James' authentic handle - @KingJames - was created in 2009 and has more than 52 million followers. These include other NBA players and the Los Angeles Lakers, his team.

But the account that impersonated him used the handle @KINGJamez, came online in November 2022 and had fewer than 200 followers, according to archived captures.

Twitter users can click a profile's badge to see whether the account paid for it. The pop-up on paid accounts reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue."

For accounts verified for notability, it says: "This account is verified because it's notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category."

Government agencies and public figures often list Twitter information on websites and other platforms, such as Facebook.

Dan Evon, senior manager of education design at the non-profit News Literacy Project, said people can always "perform a logic check."

"Many of these impostor accounts are posting overtly inflammatory messages," Evon said. "If the account is posting something newsworthy, has it made the news?"

- Fake accounts quickly created -

Twitter, which did not respond to an AFP inquiry, has rules against misleading and deceptive identities. Musk tweeted Sunday that "any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended."

But the problem remains.

"It has simply become more difficult to determine credibility on the platform," said Gordon Pennycook, a behavioral scientist at the University of Regina.

Brian Whelan, who created a fake Donald Trump account, told AFP the process was quick.

"I rebranded an old account in less than five minutes, got the verification immediately using a Revolut card in my own name, then was able to use the account for two hours," said Whelan, head of video and social at the London-based Times Radio.

Other copycat accounts used paid badges to pretend to be lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the video game company Nintendo, and Twitter itself.

The new ease of obtaining a blue badge makes media literacy more crucial than ever, as the new system could open the door to disinformation from accounts posing as government leaders and agencies, health officials, weather channels, financial advisors and more.

"This change opens so many possibilities for bad actors that it's going to be difficult for fact-checkers to keep up," Evon added.

Multiple accounts posing as politicians, celebrities and corporate brands have been suspended after being identified as inauthentic.

But the account that impersonated him used the handle @KINGJamez, came online in November 2022 and had fewer than 200 followers, according to archived captures.

Twitter users can click a profile's badge to see whether the account paid for it. The pop-up on paid accounts reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue."

For accounts verified for notability, it says: "This account is verified because it's notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category."

Government agencies and public figures often list Twitter information on websites and other platforms, such as Facebook.

Dan Evon, senior manager of education design at the non-profit News Literacy Project, said people can always "perform a logic check."

"Many of these impostor accounts are posting overtly inflammatory messages," Evon said. "If the account is posting something newsworthy, has it made the news?"

- Fake accounts quickly created -

But the problem remains.

"It has simply become more difficult to determine credibility on the platform," said Gordon Pennycook, a behavioral scientist at the University of Regina.

Brian Whelan, who created a fake Donald Trump account, told AFP the process was quick.

Other copycat accounts used paid badges to pretend to be lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the video game company Nintendo, and Twitter itself.

"This change opens so many possibilities for bad actors that it's going to be difficult for fact-checkers to keep up," Evon added.

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Biden says Musk's foreign ties 'worthy' of scrutiny
Washington (AFP) Nov 9, 2022
US President Joe Biden Wednesday said that Elon Musk's ties with foreign countries were "worthy" of scrutiny, amid questions over the Saudi acquisition of a stake in Twitter as part of the tycoon's blockbuster takeover. "I think that Elon Musk's cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at," Biden said, answering a question from a reporter after a long pause. "Whether or not he is doing anything inappropriate, I'm not suggesting that... That's all ... read more