In an outrageous attack on the First Amendment, the Federal Trade Commission is going after Twitter CEO Elon Musk for exposing censorship previously deployed by the company, known as the "Twitter Files," after taking over the social network last year. That censorship, which targeted Townhall, was heavily influenced and pushed by the FBI, the Biden White House and other federal government agencies.
According to new reporting from the Wall Street Journal, the FTC is demanding Musk turn over the names of journalists he's worked with -- many who published the Twitter Files -- along with other private and internal company information.
"The Federal Trade Commission has demanded Twitter Inc. turn over internal communications related to owner Elon Musk, as well as detailed information about layoffs—citing concerns that staff reductions could compromise the company’s ability to protect users, documents viewed by the Wall Street Journal show," WSJ reports. "In 12 letters sent to Twitter and its lawyers since Mr. Musk’s Oct. 27 takeover, the FTC also asked the company to “identify all journalists” granted access to company records and to provide information about the launch of the revamped Twitter Blue subscription service, the documents show."
Musk is responding to the intimidation attacks, calling them "shameful" and a weaponization of government.
A shameful case of weaponization of a government agency for political purposes and suppression of the truth!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2023
House Republicans are blasting the overreach and will hold a hearing about the federal government's role in social media censorship on Thursday.
Every single internal communication “relating to Elon Musk,” by any Twitter personnel—including communications sent or received by Musk—not limited by subject matter, since the day Musk bought the company;
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) March 7, 2023
All of the reasons why Twitter terminated former Twitter employee and FBI official Jim Baker;
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) March 7, 2023
When Twitter “first conceived of the concept for Twitter Blue,” Twitter’s new $8/month verified account subscription;
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) March 7, 2023
Information disaggregated by “each department, division, and/or team,” regardless of whether the work done by these units had anything to do with privacy or information security.
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) March 7, 2023
And there is no logical reason why the FTC needs every single internal Twitter communication about Elon Musk.
Read our report: https://t.co/BzJkQsLMsy
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) March 7, 2023