FTC Settles With Twitter for $150M Over Privacy Allegations

Twitter must pay a $150 million fine for violating a 2011 FTC order and “deceptively using account security data for targeted advertising,” the agency said Wednesday. The commission voted 4-0 to refer the complaint and stipulated final order to DOJ. The company requested users’ phone numbers and email addresses to protect accounts but used the data to allow targeted advertising, the agency alleged. The behavior violated a 2011 order that “explicitly prohibited the company from misrepresenting its privacy and security practices,” the agency said. The settlement dates back to 2019, when some personal data “may have been inadvertently used for advertising,” said Twitter Chief Privacy Officer Damien Kieran. “This issue was addressed as of September 17, 2019, and today we want to reiterate the work we’ll continue to do to protect the privacy and security of the people who use Twitter.” The company “will continue to partner with our regulators to make sure they understand how security and privacy practices at Twitter are always evolving for the better,” Kieran tweeted. The $150 million fine ensures Twitter isn’t profiting from the alleged conduct, FTC Chair Lina Khan and Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said in a statement. They highlighted that Twitter must notify affected parties and provide users with multifactor authentication tools that don’t require the sharing of their phone numbers. Commissioners Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson issued a statement saying: “We hope that the bipartisan approval of this order, one very much in line with prior orders, signals the beginning of a more constructive dialogue about how to continue refining our enforcement program.”