Twitter has urged a US federal court to amend or terminate an order of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that lets it monitor the social media app’s data security practices.
Elon Musk’s lawyers have claimed that once the 52-year-old billionaire took over the company last year in March, the FTC intensified its investigation into the company which “has spiralled out of control and become tainted by bias,” AP news agency reported.
The FTC has been monitoring Twitter since it gave consent to the order in 2011 following allegations of security data lapses. But the lawyers have claimed bias once Musk bought the company.
It comes after reports in March revealed that FTC was probing Musk’s mass layoffs at Twitter and trying to obtain his internal communications as part of ongoing oversight into the social media company’s privacy and cybersecurity practices, according to documents described in a congressional report.
In May 2022, Twitter paid nearly $150 million for violating the 2011 consent order, about five months before Musk took over.
An updated version established new procedures requiring the company to implement an enhanced privacy-protection program as well as beefing up information security.
‘FTC pummeling Twitter’
In the filing, Twitter, whose corporate name was changed to X Corp last year, claimed that the FTC has “pummelled” the company with “burdensome letters and requests for depositions,” issuing demands for information as frequently as one letter every other week.
The FTC wanted to depose Musk on July 25, the filing states, but FTC Chair Lina Khan declined to meet with him personally until Twitter complied with the information requests.
According to Twitter’s plea, FTC issued 16 demand letters to X Corp. since Musk took charge of Twitter, compared to around 28 demand letters it issued in the last 10 years, AP news agency reported.
Stay on deposition
Twitter, has sought intervention of the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking a protective order and relief from the consent order.
It also seeks a stay that would prevent the FTC from deposing Musk.
“X Corp. has responded to this avalanche of demands as best it can, responding promptly to FTC inquiries and producing more than 22,000 documents to date,” the filing states.
“The FTC’s overreach has now culminated in a demand to depose Musk, who is not, and never has been, a party to the consent order.”
A hearing date is listed for August 17, but the filing states that a hearing may occur on such other date and time as the court may order.
(With inputs from agencies)
