Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Tracking & Law Enforcement

UK Government Complains After Twitter Cuts Data Access

The British government has complained to Twitter over a block on access to data from the social network, which it was reportedly using to track potential terror attacks, officials said Wednesday.

The British government has complained to Twitter over a block on access to data from the social network, which it was reportedly using to track potential terror attacks, officials said Wednesday.

“The government has protested against this decision and is in ongoing discussions with Twitter to attempt to get access to this data,” a Home Office spokesman said.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman declined to specify exactly what the data was and why it was important, saying only that “we wish to have access to this information”.

But he told reporters: “The fight against terrorism is not just one for the police and the security services. Social media and tech companies have a role to play.”

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the government had been tracking terms related to potential terror attacks via a third-party firm, but this had now been blocked.

In a blog posting in November, Twitter executive Chris Moody said the firm encouraged developers to create products that used real-time data from the social network “in the public interest”, for example tracking emergencies and natural disasters.

“Recent reports about Twitter data being used for surveillance, however, have caused us great concern,” he wrote.

He said that tracking or profiling protesters or activists was “absolutely unacceptable and prohibited”, including via Twitter’s application software programs.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“We prohibit developers using the Public APIs and Gnip data products from allowing law enforcement — or any other entity — to use Twitter data for surveillance purposes. Period,” he said.

Written By

AFP 2023

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Join the session as we discuss the challenges and best practices for cybersecurity leaders managing cloud identities.

Register

SecurityWeek’s Ransomware Resilience and Recovery Summit helps businesses to plan, prepare, and recover from a ransomware incident.

Register

Expert Insights

Related Content

Cybercrime

Daniel Kelley was just 18 years old when he was arrested and charged on thirty counts – most infamously for the 2015 hack of...

Cybercrime

No one combatting cybercrime knows everything, but everyone in the battle has some intelligence to contribute to the larger knowledge base.

Cybercrime

The FBI dismantled the network of the prolific Hive ransomware gang and seized infrastructure in Los Angeles that was used for the operation.

Ransomware

The Hive ransomware website has been seized as part of an operation that involved law enforcement in 10 countries.

Privacy

Employees of Chinese tech giant ByteDance improperly accessed data from social media platform TikTok to track journalists in a bid to identify the source...

CISO Strategy

The SEC filed charges against SolarWinds and its CISO over misleading investors about its cybersecurity practices and known risks.

Cybercrime

A global cyber espionage campaign has resulted in the networks of many organizations around the world becoming compromised after the attackers managed to breach...

Ransomware

US government reminds the public that a reward of up to $10 million is offered for information on cybercriminals, including members of the Hive...