San Francisco investigates non-permitted X roof sign
The city of San Francisco Departement of Building Inspection opens an investigation into X headquarters, after it receives a complain about a giant flashing X that has been installed on the roof of the building without a permit. This comes after issues with the removal of the Twitter sign on the front of the building. The complaint noted that a city inspector was denied access to the building’s roof, where the X had been installed, with the company saying that the structure was a “temporary lighted sign for an event.” City spokesperson:
A building permit is required to make sure the sign is structurally sound and installed safely. Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign. The city is opening a complaint and initiating an investigation.
Our HQ in San Francisco tonight pic.twitter.com/VQO2NoX9Tz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023
Senators ask Musk and Yaccarino about Twitter FTC violations
Four US senators send a letter to Musk and Yaccarino asking them whether the layoffs and resignations at Twitter have hindered its ability to comply with the company’s FTC obligations. The senators are examining Twitter’s privacy practices under Musk to determine whether consumer protection laws are being flouted. The letter – signed by Elizabeth Warren (D), Ron Wyden (D), Ed Markey (D), and Mazie Hirono (D) – cites Ella Irwin’s departure as the latest source of concern about Twitter’s compliance track record. It asks whether Twitter conducted a privacy and security assessment of Twitter Blue before rolling it out (according to its 2022 consent agreement, Twitter must perform such assessments “prior to implementing any new or modified product”) as well as whether the platform has maintained a comprehensive cybersecurity program to protect user data since Musk’s takeover. It also asks whether Twitter has met various reporting requirements, including obligations to report any significant data breaches to the authorities.
[P]ersonnel changes, firsthand accounts from employees, and hasty launch of new products raise questions about whether Twitter is able to comply with its obligations under the FTC consent decree.
Mr. Musk’s behavior reveals an apparent indifference towards Twitter’s longstanding legal obligations, which did not disappear when Mr. Musk took over the company.
Regardless of his personal wealth, Mr. Musk is not exempt from the law, and neither is the company he purchased. Twitter must meet the requirements it agreed to under the 2011 and 2022 FTC agreements.
The lawmakers want Twitter to respond by June 18.
SEC probes Musk Tesla self-driving claims
US regulators are investigating Elon Musk’s role as part of an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission probe of the company’s statements about its Autopilot driver-assistance system. SEC officials are weighing whether Musk may have inappropriately made forward-looking statements, although which statements have not been revealed.
An investigation by the agency’s enforcement unit doesn’t always lead to consequences, but can result in lawsuits, fines or other civil penalties for companies and executives.
Neuralink faces federal inquiry after killing 1500 animals in testing
According to Reuters, Neuralink is under federal investigation for potential violations of The Animal Welfare Act. Interviews with former and current staff say pressure from Musk to accelerate development has resulted in failed experiments that have had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals being tested and killed. It is estimated that the company has killed about 1500 animals, including more than 280 sheep, pigs, monkeys, rats and mice following experiments since 2018.
Mistakes included one instance in 2021 when 25 out of 60 pigs in a study had devices that were the wrong size implanted in their heads, an error that could have been avoided with more preparation. The experiment was repeated with 36 sheep. All pigs and sheep were euthanised after the experiment. On another occasion, staff accidentally implanted Neuralink’s device on the wrong vertebra of two different pigs during two separate surgeries.
Musk and other Neuralink executives did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the USDA inspector general declined to comment. US regulations do not specify how many animals companies can use for research and the total number does not necessarily indicate that Neuralink is violating regulations or standard research practices.
Tesla board investigates Musk’s glass house purchases
Tesla’s board is investigating Musk for possible misuse of company resources in a project to build himself a mansion near the company’s Texas headquarters. The project involves a glass-walled building near Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, of which some renderings apparently show a residential area with bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen next to a body of water, with the factory in the background. The board’s probe comes after Tesla’s finance and internal audit teams became aware of an order placed by a Musk advisor (also being probed) for millions of dollars worth of specialized glass, and is focusing on whether executives in Musk’s inner circle used the company’s clout to obtain the glass for a personal project of Musk’s while a global supply chain crisis made the glass more difficult to obtain normally.