On Thursday, Twitter requested a federal court to either finish off or alter a Federal Trade Commission directive that manages its data processes. The firm professed that the inquiry "has become uncontrolled and infected with prejudice." The agreement that was initially concluded in 2011 was meant to address claims that the platform had not sufficiently secured its users' information.
Twitter filed a motion in a federal court on Thursday, asking it to either terminate or modify an FTC order that was issued in 2011 in response to charges that the platform had failed to adequately protect users' information. In the motion, Twitter claims that the order has become "tainted by bias" and "can no longer serve any proper equitable purpose". They also allege that since Elon Musk took over the company in May 2022, the FTC has sent them 16 demand letters, which they compare to the 28 they have received in the previous decade. The filing goes on to state that the agency even wants to depose Musk, who was not and has never been a party to the dispute. In response to these events, Twitter suggested an alternate solution in which the court would direct the FTC to pause the enforcement of the agreement until it provides evidence.
In May 2022, prior to Musk taking the helm, the company reached a $150 million settlement with the FTC and Department of Justice for allegedly violating the 2011 order by failing to inform its users about how their contact information would be used to target ads. Commenting on the situation, an FTC spokesperson said in a statement that "no CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees".
The FTC has declined to comment.
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