Twitter has submitted a motion to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking to terminate the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) oversight of its data security practices, which has been in effect for several years.
In 2011, Twitter, also known as X Corp., agreed to a consent order after the FTC discovered significant lapses in its data security. The company has now filed a motion to end this arrangement.
Last May, Twitter was fined $150 million by the FTC for violating the consent order regarding its privacy practices. The FTC found that between May 2013 and September 2019, Twitter used users’ personal information for advertising purposes.
The motion filed by X Corp. requests the court to “rein in an investigation that has spiraled out of control and become tainted by bias” and terminate the updated consent order, which imposed a fine on Twitter and required the platform to establish an enhanced privacy program and improve information security.
X Corp. argues that the consent order no longer serves any appropriate equitable purpose. The company highlights the FTC’s increased scrutiny since Elon Musk took over, with 16 demand letters issued compared to 28 over the previous decade. X Corp. also seeks to prevent Musk from being deposed.
A congressional report released in March revealed that the FTC is investigating Musk’s extensive layoffs at Twitter and is looking to obtain his internal communications as part of its oversight.
Furthermore, the FTC’s focus on Twitter intensified following Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of the company, with concerns raised about how he was managing the platform.
The Hill has reached out to the FTC for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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