Twitter Urges Court to End FTC Oversight of Data Practices

Twitter has filed a court document requesting the termination of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order that imposes restrictions on its data security practices, claiming that the agency has become "tainted by bias." The company argues that the FTC's investigation took a sudden and drastic turn after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, resulting in a burdensome and vexatious inquiry. Twitter's filing coincided with FTC Chair Lina Khan's testimony on Capitol Hill, where she faced criticism from Republicans who accused her of mismanaging the agency and conducting a politicized probe into Twitter. The FTC declined to comment on Twitter's filing, and Khan did not mention Twitter or Musk in her written testimony. The FTC's investigation predates Musk's ownership of Twitter and stems from a whistleblower complaint regarding the company's alleged violation of a 2011 order related to user data security.