Weaponization of Government Panel Says FTC Orchestrated ‘Aggressive Campaign to Harass Twitter’

On Tuesday, the House panel that is investigating the weaponization by the federal government claimed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “an aggressive campaign to harass Twitter” It is a part of “unusual response” Elon Musk has acquired the social networking site.

The Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released an interim report highlighting the FTC’s apparent overreach in making more than 350 specific demands for information within a period of less than three months after Musk took the helm.

According to this report, federal agencies inundated Twitter with requests to disclose information regarding hiring decisions and firings. “every internal communication relating to Elon Musk.”

The FTC requested the names of all journalists granted access to the internal Twitter files, which was particularly concerning for the panel. “to expose abuses by Big Tech and the federal government.”

The FTC sent more than 60 letters to demand information regarding Twitter’s subscription service. The agency also demed to know if Twitter was “selling its office equipment” and “all of the reasons” Why Jim Baker, an ex-FBI official was dismissed.

“These demands have no basis in the FTC’s statutory mission and appear to be the result of partisan pressure to target Twitter and silence Musk,” The report says (pdf).

A number of Twitter FTC letters were obtained by the committee. The letter was not public, and it said that it had received them recently. “on instances of the federal government’s authority being weaponized against U.S. citizens.”

Demands for Journalists’ Names ‘Inappropriate’

A House committee report criticises the FTC for requesting information on journalists.

It is highlighted that the FTC has been a major contributor to this report. “campaign to harass Twitter” Journalists may be less able to write about matters of public interest. This is why the First Amendment Rights should be protected more.

Matt Taibbi, journalist, published the “First installment” of his series.Twitter Files“, which exposed a government/Big Tech censorship system. The FTC wrote its first email to Twitter.

In its report, the panel noted that it was striking that FTC made their first demand. “did not concern what private user information may have been at risk.”

“Instead, the FTC demanded that Twitter ‘[i]dentify all journalists and other members of the media to whom’ Twitter has granted access to since Musk bought the company.”

The FTC named the journalists involved in the initial disclosures, including Bari Weiss, Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, and Abigail Shrier.

Also, the agency demanded any information. “other members of the media to whom You have granted any type of access to the Company’s internal communications for any reason whatsoever,” According to the report.

“There is no reason the FTC needs to know every journalist with whom Twitter was engaging. Even more troubling than the burden on the company, the FTC’s demand represents a government inquiry into First Amendment-protected activity,” According to the report.

“It is an agency of the federal government demanding that a private company reveal the names of the journalists who are engaged in reporting about matters of public interest, including potential government misconduct,” The report is ongoing. “While the FTC’s inquiry would be inappropriate in any setting, it is especially inappropriate in the context of journalists disclosing how social media companies helped the government to censor online speech.”

Musk posted a Twitter response to reports regarding the federal agency’s request that journalists be named.

“This is a serious attack on the Constitution by a federal agency,” Musk said.

‘Politically Motivated’ Left Wing Pressure

According to the report the FTC used Twitter’s consent decree as a pretext for harassing the network. It also received pressure from left-wing groups and individuals. The consent agreement with Twitter, later updated, serves as protection of personal information.

FTC Chair Lina Khan, who was in office at the time of Musk’s takeover in 2022, assured the Judiciary Committee the agency would continue to exist. “acts only in the public interest” Is it? “confined” The report is based on its legal authority.

This is not supported by nonpublic information that was obtained from the House panel.

FTC cites its amended consent agreement. “began its barrage of demands” Just two weeks later, Musk was appointed CEO of Musk’s company in October 2022.

It sent its first letter, and the agency announced publicly that it had. “tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern” And warned that “revised consent order gives us new tools to ensure compliance, and we are prepared to use them.”

It is noted that FTC’s timing was not optimal. “strongly suggests that its reliance on the consent decree is a pretext.” According to the report, Musk was appointed CEO of Twitter in October 2022. The FTC also sent two first letters with more than a dozen demands and Musk’s name on November 10, 2022.

Twitter did not have to comply with the FTC’s revised consent agreement until Nov. 22nd 2022.

“In other words, the FTC started this heavy-handed compliance monitoring two weeks after Musk acquired Twitter, but two weeks before there was even a program in place to monitor,” According to the report.

This report says that left-wing organizations and individuals pressured the federal government, inciting their concerns about Musk’s intentions to make Twitter the bastion for free speech.

Among the left-wing groups vocal in their objections to Musk’s purchase of Twitter was an organization called Open Markets Institute, where FTC Chair Khan once worked.

According to the report, this organisation was described as “left-wing political advocacy” group and urged the FTC to enforce its consent agreement. “as a vehicle to attempt to thwart Musk’s efforts to reorient the company” According to the report, he supports his right of free speech.

“The strong inference from these facts is that Twitter’s rediscovered focus on free speech is being met with politically motivated attempts to thwart Elon Musk’s goals,” According to the report.

“The FTC’s demands did not occur in a vacuum. They appear to be the result of loud voices on the left—including elected officials—urging the federal government to intervene in Musk’s acquisition and management of the company,” The report is ongoing. “The FTC’s harassment of Twitter is likely due to one fact: Musk’s self-described ‘absolutist’ commitment to free expression in the digital town square.”

A spokesperson for the FTC stated that it was investigating Twitter’s compliance to the consent decree in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

“Protecting consumers’ privacy is exactly what the FTC is supposed to do,” According to the spokesperson. “It should come as no surprise that career staff at the commission are conducting a rigorous investigation into Twitter’s compliance with a consent order that came into effect long before Mr. Musk purchased the company.”