Twitter Layoffs Shrank Its Compliance Teams. Now It Risks Investigations and Big Fines
The work of two key teams that Twitter Inc. relied on to comply with regulators abruptly stopped amid a rash of layoffs, resignations and firings, according to two people familiar with the matter. That puts the social media giant at risk of investigations and hefty fines, the people said.
The latest departures heighten concerns that a staff exodus following Elon Musk's takeover will undermine the company's ability to comply with rules intended to protect users' data.
A data governance committee that had overseen Twitter's compliance with a Federal Trade Commission consent decree ceased to exist after two of its members were fired and three others resigned, according to the people. Under the consent decree, Twitter agreed to better protect users' personal data.
The committee was formed in November 2021 and was responsible for overseeing decisions on how user data was collected, accessed and disclosed, according to a post on the company's website at the time. The committee also managed internal compliance with Twitter's privacy policy.
Meanwhile, a board of directors that was responsible for managing Twitter's compliance with the Europe Union's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, ceased operating after Musk fired two of its three members: Vijaya Gadde, the company's top lawyer, and Sinead McSweeney, global vice president for public policy, according to the people. Last month, McSweeney, who is based in Dublin, secured a court injunction preventing Twitter from terminating her employment.
The board of directors carried out a crucial role, reviewing the work of product and engineering teams at Twitter to ensure they didn't violate Europe's complex rules on the transfer and processing of data from EU citizens,
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