House Democrats demand answers after whistleblower highlights Twitter security failures

Key House Democrats want Twitter to account for its alleged security failures after its former security chief made a series of whistleblower claims alleging that the social media giant was unable to protect its users.

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., sent a letter to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal on Thursday, according to The Hill.

Twitter plays a unique role in our information and political ecosystems. Security flaws that put users’ sensitive personal data within easy reach of a hacker looking to take control of a high-profile account or a foreign dictator looking for information on dissidents are nothing short of a threat to national security,” the pair wrote.

“If substantiated, the whistleblower allegations demonstrate a pattern of willful disregard for the personal data of Twitter users and the integrity of the platform," they continued.

Former Twitter security chief Peiter "Mudge" Zatko lodged his complaint in late July, alleging “extreme, egregious deficiencies” in the firm's anti-hacking protocols and that the firm misled the federal government by claiming to have prepared a solid security plan.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday that it had scheduled a hearing on the allegations in which Zatko would testify before lawmakers to his claims on September 13.