Musk claims US gov't had 'full access' to users’ Twitter data

WASHINGTON

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has claimed that the US government had "full access" to the social media platform’s user data, including private direct messages (DMs).

In an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson that will air later on Monday, Musk said he was shocked to find out about the government’s ability to read users’ direct messages on his platform.

“The degree to which government agencies effectively had full access to everything that was going on on Twitter blew my mind,” he said. “I was not aware of that.”

When asked by Carlson if full access included "people's DMs, Musk replied "Yes."

Musk bought Twitter last October in a high-profile $44 billion deal after months of negotiations.

His ownership of Twitter has been marked by widespread changes at the company as he seeks to make the service profitable by instituting mass layoffs as well as changing its policies, including charging for verified accounts.