US Federal Trade Commission orders Musk to turn over internal documents: Reports

By Rabia İclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to depose Twitter owner Elon Musk as part of its investigation into the social media company’s data and privacy breaches, demanding the company to turn over internal documents, several US media outlets reported Tuesday.

The FTC is demanding Twitter to turn over internal communications related to Musk and information regarding recent layoffs, The Wall Street Journal Reported reported, citing 12 letters sent to the company and its lawyers since Musk’s $44 billion takeover on Oct. 27.

It cited a letter sent by the FTC to Twitter’s lawyers on Nov. 10 saying they are “concerned these staff reductions impact Twitter’s ability to protect consumers’ information.”

In another letter, the FTC demanded Twitter to “identify all journalists” who were given access to company records and to give information about the Twitter Blue subscription service.

The FTC letters were from the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee’s staff report released Tuesday, the Journal reported.

“Protecting consumers’ privacy is exactly what the FTC is supposed to do,” the Journal quoted FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar as saying, adding the agency is “conducting a rigorous investigation into Twitter’s compliance with a consent order that came into effect long before Mr. Musk purchased the company.”

Musk responded to the reports in a Twitter post, saying: "A shameful case of weaponization of a government agency for political purposes and suppression of the truth!"