Twitter seeks court intervention to curb FTC’s ‘unrestrained’ investigation.

Twitter Fights Back Against FTC Order, Alleges Bias and Coercion

Twitter has taken a bold step in its battle against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by asking a court to intervene. The social media giant claims that an independent auditor felt pressured by the FTC to uncover negative information, leading to concerns about bias. In a filing, Twitter’s parent company, X Corp., argued that the FTC’s oversight of its user data safeguards has spiraled out of control and become tainted by bias.

The FTC’s order, which dates back to a 2011 consent order and was updated in mid-2022, includes a $150 million fine over allegations of data misuse for targeted advertising. X Corp. argues that the FTC’s demands have become burdensome and excessive since Elon Musk took over as Twitter CEO in October 2022 and implemented mass layoffs.

The Motion: Twitter’s Plea to the Court

In a motion filed to a federal court in California, X Corp. requests an end to the FTC order and a stay on a scheduled deposition of Musk. The filing also calls for the FTC to provide substantive responses to X Corp.’s requests for information to establish the scope and depth of the agency’s bias and improper interference.

The filing highlights the FTC’s alleged coercion of Ernst & Young (EY), an independent assessor of Twitter’s security measures. According to deposition testimony from an EY employee, the FTC pressured the law firm to produce a negative report about Twitter, leading to concerns about the agency’s influence and potential challenges for EY.

Twitter’s attempts to address the FTC’s concerns have been met with resistance. Musk requested a meeting with FTC Chair Lina Khan to better understand the agency’s concerns, but Khan only agreed to consider a meeting if Twitter complied with all of the FTC’s demands.

While the FTC and EY have not yet responded to the filing, Khan appeared before the House Judiciary Committee and emphasized the importance of protecting people’s privacy and security. She stated that the FTC is committed to ensuring Twitter’s compliance with the order.

A hearing date for the case has been set for August 17, giving Twitter and X Corp. an opportunity to present their arguments.

Musk’s Response: Government Overreach and Censorship

In a tweet, Elon Musk expressed his frustration with the FTC’s actions, stating, “FTC overreach has gone absurdly far beyond the legal mandate granted by Congress. Weaponization of government agencies for censorship & political machinations needs to stop.”

As the legal battle unfolds, Twitter remains determined to defend its privacy and security practices against what it perceives as biased and excessive scrutiny from the FTC.

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