Regulators Eye Twitter and Broader Tech Layoffs

Twitter is under “investigation” by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission. The question is if it still has the appropriate personnel to ensure compliance with the European Union’s privacy legislation. The EU privacy legislation is also known as the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR. According to a spokesman for the Irish regulator, the firm insisted last week that it did. But the effects of staff departures are still being analyzed.

Damien Kieran has served in the position and left quickly following the first round of layoffs. After his departure, Twitter has appointed an interim chief data protection officer, according to him.

Meanwhile, the French communications regulator sent a letter to Twitter last Friday. They requested the company to respond by this week if it has adequate personnel on hand. Managing hate speech that is considered unlawful under French law is a priority.

Twitter is in discussions with the EU about its new social-media legislation, the Digital Services Act, which will apply greater restrictions to platforms like Twitter by the middle of next year. On Thursday, the EU’s justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, is set to meet with Twitter executives in Ireland, as scheduled. According to an EU official familiar with the trip, he intends to question the company’s capacity to follow the law and keep its data protection and hate speech commitments.

Mr. Musk insists that Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape” and will follow the laws of the nations where it operates.

Ex-Employees of Big Tech Companies Flock to Tik Tok to Share Their Layoff Experiences

Formerly Meta Platform Inc. and Twitter Inc. Employees are turning to TikTok to give people an unfiltered perspective on the massive layoffs affecting the tech industry. One video has garnered over half a million views and 80,000 likes. The video is allegedly from an ex-Twitter employee who invites users to prepare themselves with her to observe if she was laid off from her job.

Whether funny or sentimental, the videos have one thing in common: they challenge shame and silence. They say it helps to deal with the situation and sympathize with others in the same predicament. It also helps network the next opportunity, according to those posting.