Elon Musk has alleged that Twitter’s previous management allowed U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies to access users’ direct messages (DMs) on the platform.
What happened to Elon Musk’s Twitter?
In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, the billionaire tech mogul claimed that among the most “absurd” revelations he has made since acquiring the company for $44 billion, Twitter was allowing U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies to view users’ direct messages on the platform.
“The degree to which government agencies effectively had complete access to everything that was happening on Twitter blew my mind,” Musk commented during the interview. “I wasn’t aware of that.”
You can also read: Is there a new date for Elon Musk’s Starship launch yet?
When asked if that included people’s DMs, the Twitter CEO replied “yes,” adding that “because DMs are not encrypted.”
Musk also announced his intention to introduce a feature that would allow users to encrypt direct messages to reduce government intervention. He plans to unveil this new feature later this month.
In November, the tech billionaire hinted that the microblogging site is working on Signal-like end-to-end encryption for its DMs to ensure that no one can eavesdrop or hack into private conversations. Even before acquiring Twitter, Musk expressed his desire for the site to have end-to-end encryption for DMs.
Why it’s important
On Monday, Meta Platform Inc (NASDAQ:META) WhatsApp leader Will Cathcart shared an “open letter” opposing new legislation the UK government is considering that he says “opens the door” for tech companies to break end-to-end encryption on private messaging services.
Cathcart said that “the law could give an unelected official the power to undermine the privacy of billions of people around the world.”
Private messages are private. We oppose proposals to scan people's private messages, and we’re proud to stand with other apps to defend encryption and your right to privacy. https://t.co/IHROR5pS6U
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) April 18, 2023