Topline
Twitter’s rollout of its paid verification service in Europe has been carried out without consulting the Irish Data Protection Commission, the social platform’s primary regulator in the European Union claimed on Tuesday, a move that could cause more regulatory headaches for the company.
Twitter’s top privacy regulator in the EU said there has been a “breakdown of communication” with … [+]
Key Facts
In an interview with Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon said this week her office had seen “something of a breakdown of communication” with Twitter’s Dublin office.
The Dublin office serves as Twitter’s headquarters in the EU, making the Irish DPC its chief privacy regulator in the bloc.
Dixon said that after Elon Musk’s takeover of the company, she was assured that any new feature rollouts in the European market would happen after discussions with her office.
Twitter, however, launched the subscription service in Europe in recent weeks and did it “without any engagement” with the DPC.
Dixon said her office has “urgently” made contact with Twitter’s Data Protection Officer in Dublin to seek assurances about the service meeting EU personal data protection standards.
According to Reuters, the DPC is also concerned about the verification process for blue checkmarks, which prevents Twitter Blue subscribers from posing as public figures.
Key Background
Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter last year, the company has laid off more than 75% of its staffers including a large portion of its public policy team while also shutting down its office in Brussels. Some former executives and even company lawyers have expressed concern that Musk’s actions may be putting the company at risk of major fines. These concerns prompted the Federal Trade Commission to ask Twitter in December to detail how it plans to comply with the agency’s consent decree on privacy and security. Last month, the European Commission criticized the company for failing to adequately tackle disinformation on the platform. The Commission said Twitter had submitted an incomplete report on how it plans to implement measures outlined in the EU’s new anti-disinformation charter. On Monday, Twitter was hit with a fine by the Turkish competition regulator for failing to seek its permission before Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the company.
Further Reading
Data watchdog rejects criticism that it is too soft on big tech (RTÉ)
Twitter’s lead EU regulator concerned over blue tick roll-out (Reuters)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/03/07/eu-privacy-regulator-flags-concern-about-breakdown-of-communication-with-twitter/