Hillicon Valley — GOP senator presses Musk on Twitter safety

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Twitter CEO Elon Musk is going through extra questions from Congress, this time stemming from safety considerations he inherited when he closed the deal.

In the meantime, Meta stated it eliminated a community of faux accounts that was linked to people related to the U.S. army 

That is Hillicon Valley, we’re Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare. (Programming word: We’re taking off beginning tomorrow for the vacation. We’ll return Monday!)

Extra questions for Musk

Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed new Twitter CEO Elon Musk over knowledge safety considerations raised by a Twitter whistleblower who got here ahead earlier than Musk accomplished his acquisition of the corporate.

Grassley’s Wednesday letter to Musk focuses on points Musk inherited when taking on Twitter, differing from pushback from the senator’s Democratic colleagues that facilities on adjustments Musk has made since taking the reins on the finish of October. 

Grassley instructed Musk Twitter’s former CEO cited “the continued litigation with you as an excuse” to sidestep questions in regards to the whistleblower allegations. Now that Musk accomplished his $44 billion acquisition, Grassley instructed Musk he’s “uniquely positioned to offer solutions to Congress the place [his] predecessor failed.”  

• In September, former Twitter safety chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko alleged widespread safety deficiencies on the platform in a whistleblower disclosure despatched to the Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), Federal Commerce Fee (FTC), Division of Justice (DOJ) and lawmakers. Zatko additionally testified earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Grassley requested Musk to reply to questions he and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Sick.) raised in September to Twitter’s former management in regards to the allegations. 

Learn extra right here.  

Meta hyperlinks pretend accounts to US army

A community of faux accounts selling U.S. pursuits to international locations within the Center East and Central Asia was linked to people related to the U.S. army, Meta stated Tuesday.

• Meta eliminated dozens of Fb and Instagram accounts, in addition to extra pages and teams linked to the community, for violating its coverage towards coordinated inauthentic conduct, the tech big stated in its quarterly adversarial menace report.
• It marks a uncommon occasion of the Silicon Valley-based firm tying an affect marketing campaign to the U.S. reasonably than a overseas nation. 

Meta stated that the folks behind the operation “tried to hide their identities,” however the firm’s investigation “discovered hyperlinks to people related to the US army.” 

Pentagon’s response: Pentagon spokesman César Santiago stated in an announcement the division is “conscious of the report printed by Meta” however declined to touch upon the report’s findings “right now.”  

“We are going to look into and assess any info that Meta gives,” Santiago added. 

Learn extra right here.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HIT WTH CYBERATTACK

The European Parliament’s web site was hit Wednesday with a “subtle” cyberattack claimed by a pro-Kremlin group, in accordance with its president. 

The Parliament had voted the identical day to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its conflict on Ukraine.

“The @Europarl_EN is beneath a complicated cyberattack. A professional-Kremlin group has claimed duty… This, after we proclaimed Russia as a State-sponsor of terrorism,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola stated in a tweet. 

“My response: #SlavaUkraini,” Metsola stated, utilizing Ukraine’s nationwide salute, “Glory to Ukraine.” 

Metsola stated IT consultants have been working to guard the parliament’s methods and stave off the assault. The identification of the pro-Kremlin group claiming duty and the extent of the harm to the location has not but been shared. 

Learn extra right here. 

MUSK POLLS TWITTER USERS ON SUSPENDED ACCOUNTS

Elon Musk has posted a ballot on Twitter about whether or not the platform ought to provide a “basic amnesty” to suspended accounts so long as they haven’t damaged the regulation or engaged in “egregious spam.”

The Twitter and SpaceX CEO printed the put up on Wednesday, days after he restored former President Trump’s account for the primary time since he was banned from the web site within the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, rebellion. 

Musk tweeted on Saturday that he made the choice after a slender majority voted in favor of restoring Trump’s account in one other Twitter ballot he posted.  

“The folks have spoken. Trump will likely be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he stated, utilizing the Latin phrase that means “The voice of the folks is the voice of God.”  

Learn extra right here.

👾 BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: Client privateness pitfalls for the brand new Congress to keep away from 

Notable hyperlinks from across the net: 

Saluting in Solidarity (The New York Instances / Reyhan Harmanci) 

Proper-wing influencers and media double down on anti-LGBTQ rhetoric within the wake of the Colorado taking pictures (NBC Information / Ben Goggin and Kat Tenbarge) 

‘They seize their lunches and sit alone’: Russians shunned at world cyber confabs (Politico / Maggie Miller and Eric Geller) 

📱Lighter click on: Simply checking in  

Yet another factor: Meta denies resignation rumors

Fb’s dad or mum firm Meta denied a report that CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to resign subsequent 12 months.  

“That is false,” Andy Stone, Meta’s communications director, stated in a tweet responding to the story from the information outlet The Leak, which focuses on leaks within the “political and leisure panorama,” in accordance with its web site.

• The Leak cited an unnamed supply in reporting that Zuckerberg selected to step down himself.
• The report and denial come as Meta faces monetary struggles amid excessive inflation and a possible recession within the close to future. 

Learn extra right here.

That’s it for at present, thanks for studying. Take a look at The Hill’s Know-how and Cybersecurity pages for the newest information and protection. We’ll see you Monday!