Twitter will pay $150 million in privacy settlement

Twitter will pay $150 million to settle a privacy lawsuit with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The settlement, announced today, covers a complaint that Twitter deceptively used members’ email addresses and phone numbers for targeted advertising. On top of the fine, Twitter must also accept audits of its data privacy program among other restrictions.

The legal filing alleges that Twitter misrepresented its policies to users between 2013 and 2019, violating both an FTC law and an order from an earlier settlement in 2011. The company encouraged users to add a phone number or email address to enable security measures such as two-factor authentication. However, in fact, Twitter has also incorporated this information into its ad targeting data. He. She I apologize for this practice In 2019, she said she “inadvertently” switched addresses and numbers to her ad system. The complaint also alleges that during that period, Twitter was falsely claiming to comply with the Privacy Shield Frameworks of the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and the United States, which restrict how companies can reuse user data.

Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement. The Federal Trade Commission targeted Facebook for a similar practice in 2019, imposing a $5 billion fine on the company for this and other privacy violations.

New compliance measures will require Twitter to maintain a “comprehensive” security program for privacy and information, and regular checks and audits of its protections will also need to be conducted. Anyone who joined Twitter before September 2019 must also be notified of the settlement after it has been approved by a federal court.

Twitter’s chief privacy officer, Damien Keran, has admitted to the settlement In a blog post And Tweet topic. “Our settlement with the FTC reflects Twitter’s pre-existing commitments and investments in security and privacy,” Kieran wrote on Twitter. “We will continue to partner with our regulators to ensure they understand how Twitter’s security and privacy practices are always evolving for the better.”