Twitter Boss Elon Musk 'Not Above The Law': US Regulator

Following reports that Twitter's top privacy and compliance officers left the platform, a US regulator says it is closely monitoring events there with "deep concern"

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Elon Musk, the new CEO, "not above the law". Separately, Mr. Musk reportedly told staff members that Twitter's bankruptcy was a possibility.

Since Mr. Musk started firing hundreds of employees last week, the company has been in a state of chaos. The opportunity for users to acquire verified status as part of a new subscription has aroused concerns that Twitter might be flooded with fake accounts.

Twitter's former head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, updated his profile on the social media site on Thursday to reflect his departure from the position.

According to reports, the company's top security officer Lea Kissner along with chief compliance officer Marianne Fogarty and chief privacy officer Damien Kieran all resigned.

The departures could raise the likelihood that Twitter will violate legal directives. In May, the company received a $150 million (£119 million) fine and had to abide by new privacy rules.

Director of Public Affairs for the FTC Douglas Farrar stated, "We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern,"  "No chief executive or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees."  "new tools to ensure compliance, and we are prepared to use them". according to Mr. Farrer.

To resolve claims that it had improperly exploited user data to assist in the sale of targeted advertisements, Twitter paid the fine in May.

In addition to paying a fine, it had to accept new guidelines and implement a stronger privacy and security programme, which was in charge of the executives who reportedly resigned.

Since taking over, Mr. Musk has fired previous CEO Parag Agrawal and other top executives, and the company's chiefs of advertising and marketing have also left, raising fears that Twitter may not have enough personnel in place to ensure that it maintains compliance with regulations.