Markey fires again after Musk mocks his Twitter grievance

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) clashed with billionaire Elon Musk in a web based alternate Sunday, telling the world’s richest man to “repair your firms or Congress will” after Musk mocked the senator’s complaints about Twitter.

On Friday, Markey despatched a letter to Musk asking for extra details about how accounts on Twitter are being verified and accusing the social media firm’s new proprietor of permitting the unfold of disinformation and “placing earnings over folks.”

Markey despatched the letter to Musk after his account was copied by a Washington Submit reporter testing how straightforward it was to impersonate notable figures. The faux Markey account, which was arrange with the senator’s permission, was later suspended.

Musk replied Sunday to Markey’s tweet sharing the letter with a mocking jab on the senator.

“Maybe it’s as a result of your actual account seems like a parody?” Musk wrote. “And why does your [personal profile] have a masks!?”

Markey then struck again, arguing in a reply that “one in every of your firms is below an FTC consent decree,” referring to Twitter and the Federal Commerce Fee.

“Auto security watchdog NHTSA is investigating one other for killing folks,” Markey tweeted, referring to Tesla and the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration. “And also you’re spending your time choosing fights on-line. Repair your firms. Or Congress will.”

Twitter on Friday paused the flexibility to pay $7.99 a month for a blue examine mark, which denotes an official, verified account, after the social media platform was flooded with impersonated accounts of notable folks.

The verification system earlier than Musk bought Twitter made clear that an account was official and had been authenticated by the corporate, giving customers the flexibility to know that data from the account comes from an actual and verifiable supply.

In his letter, Markey pressed for details about how the paid verification system differs from earlier than and defined he was personally involved after his account was impersonated.

The information is the most recent firestorm after Musk purchased Twitter and took it personal final month.

A number of high safety and privateness specialists on the firm have additionally resigned amid the controversial modifications.

The Federal Commerce Fee is monitoring developments associated to privateness and safety in mild of the consent decree, which requires Twitter to reinforce oversight of defending person knowledge.