House Republicans have sent a subpoena to the FTC demanding documents relating to the agency’s investigation into Twitter, which they claim has been used to “harass” the social media site.
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Republican from Ohio, Jim Jordan, filed a subpoena to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan on Tuesday, claiming the FTC had ignored the committee’s earlier demands for information.
To better understand the FTC’s inquiry into Twitter and its response to Elon Musk’s October 2022 purchase of the site, Jordan and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have asked for any relevant conversations between the agency and Twitter.
“The FTC’s refusal to provide this material is unacceptable,” According to a statement from Jordan.“In light of the FTC’s disregard for the Committee’s earlier requests for voluntary compliance, the Committee is subpoenaing for the documents.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, an FTC official said the agency had repeatedly offered to keep the committee updated on the probe and that Jordan and his staff had declined each time.
“We have made multiple offers to brief Chairman Jordan’s staff on our investigation into Twitter,” a representative told the Journal, they said.“Those are standing offers made prior to this entirely unnecessary subpoena.”
Jordan has been pushing to be in charge of the FTC’s Twitter probe after the agency voiced reservations about Musk’s leadership. His harsh words directed at employees sparked concerns about the company’s ability to protect customer information.
“We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern,” issued a statement to The Hill last November, an FTC representative said.“No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees. Our revised consent order gives us new tools to ensure compliance, and we are prepared to use them.”
Republicans in the House of Representatives said in a report published last month that the Federal Trade Commission had requested Twitter provide the identities of journalists to whom the company had granted access to internal discussions and information.
Last month, the FTC revealed to The Hill that it was looking into whether or not Twitter was living up to previous privacy pledges it had made to the agency.
“Protecting consumers’ privacy is exactly what the FTC is supposed to do,” Apparently, as they put it.“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.”