Following Chairman Jim Jordan's accusations of FTC Chair Lina Khan's "harassment" of Twitter under Elon Musk's ownership, the social media platform, now X Corp., has taken legal action. In a court filing, Twitter announced its intention to subpoena Senator Elizabeth Warren, requesting all documents and communications related to a letter she sent to SEC Chair Gary Gensler concerning Musk. This subpoena request encompasses all correspondence from October 27, 2022, to the present, including drafts and communications with the SEC about Musk and X Corp.
Warren's letter to Gensler urged an investigation into Tesla and its board, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest and Musk's dual role as CEO of both Tesla and Twitter. This follows a previous letter from Warren and six other Democratic senators to the FTC in November, demanding stricter oversight of Twitter under Musk's leadership, alleging his actions compromised the platform's safety and integrity.
X Corp. has filed a motion to end the existing consent decree with the FTC, claiming the investigation has become excessive and biased. The company argues that the FTC's demands, including a request to depose Musk, who is not a party to the consent decree, have intensified since Musk's acquisition. The motion emphasizes the substantial volume of documents already produced (over 22,000) in response to the FTC's inquiries.
This legal maneuvering coincides with FTC Chair Lina Khan's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, where Rep. Jim Jordan accused her of an "obsession" with Musk and "harassing" Twitter. The underlying issue stems from a 2011 FTC complaint against Twitter concerning user data privacy. A consent decree was established, but the FTC later filed another complaint in 2022 alleging Twitter violated this decree by using personal information for targeted advertising. This resulted in a $150 million fine for Twitter.
