Since Elon Musk took over the firm last autumn, the Federal Trade Commission has intensified its probe into some of Twitter's most contentious choices. That includes the company's major layoffs and the debut of Twitter Blue, as well as the company's relations with journalists associated with the so-called "Twitter Files," according to a recent investigation in The Wall Street Journal.
At issue, is Twitter's 2022 deal with the FTC over its use of "deceptive" ad targeting. The corporation at the time also agreed to pay a $150 million fine and implement a "comprehensive privacy and information security programme" in addition to other stringent privacy protection measures. But, politicians and others have expressed broad worry that Twitter has not complied with these rules while Musk has been in charge.
The FTC has reportedly written at least a dozen letters to Twitter since last autumn in an effort to learn more about the company's management of layoffs, Twitter Blue, the "Twitter Files," and other concerns, according to The Wall Street Journal. As part of the investigation, the agency is allegedly attempting to get Musk deposed. A report on the FTC's inquiry into Twitter was also made public by the House Judiciary Committee.
The claim isn't the first time since Musk's takeover that Twitter may have violated regulatory guidelines. The departure of important privacy and security leaders caused the FTC to express "great worry," according to a prior statement. The hurried introduction of Twitter Blue, which purportedly happened without a full privacy or security assessment, as required by Twitter's FTC settlement, has also drawn criticism from lawmakers and others.
The deal also calls on Twitter to restrict internal access to user data, as Bloomberg noted last year. Security experts have questioned if Musk's choice to provide journalists with access to internal systems and reams of internal information might be in violation of its commitments to the FTC.
Musk referred to the FTC's actions as "a terrible instance of weaponizing a government institution for political goals and suppressing the truth" in a tweet. Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee called the agency's inquiry "harassment" in their remarks.
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