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Twitter owner Elon Musk requested a meeting with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Lina Kern late last year, but he was denied, and the documents needed for the FTC’s investigation into Twitter’s privacy and data practices. said to stop dragging its feet by offering a deposition, the report said yesterday.
“In his Jan. 27 letter declining a meeting, Mr. Khan told Twitter’s attorneys to concentrate on responding to investigators’ requests for information before considering a meeting with Mr. Musk,” the NYT said. wrote.
Twitter agreed to pay a $150 million fine for ads targeted to users using phone numbers and email addresses collected from users when two-factor authentication is enabled You must comply with the terms of the May 2022 Settlement. Last year’s settlement came after Twitter said he violated the terms of the 2011 settlement, which the FTC said.
In a January 27 letter to Twitter, Khan was quoted as saying, “I am troubled by Twitter’s delays and the fact that these delays are interfering with the FTC’s investigation.” Khan’s letter criticized Twitter for delaying providing documents and taking depositions from witnesses, including Musk, according to the NYT.
“We encourage Twitter to properly prioritize its legal obligations to provide requested information,” she wrote on Twitter. I will consider meeting with Musk.”
FTC worried about Twitter staff shortage
The New York Times reported that internal FTC emails said Khan had consulted with the enforcement department of the FTC’s Office of Consumer Protection regarding Musk’s request to meet. “On the advice of his enforcement team, Mr. Khan declined to meet with Mr. Musk at that time,” the article said.
The FTC declined to comment when contacted by Ars. We reached out to Twitter, and their press emails now auto-reply all messages with a poop emoji.
The 2022 settlement requires Twitter to assess risks to privacy, security, and confidentiality before launching new or modified products and services. Shortly after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, he announced in November 2022 to several privacy and security executives at the company amid concerns that Musk’s rapid change would cause him to breach his contract with the FTC. has resigned.
The FTC’s current investigation is focused on whether Twitter “has adequate resources to protect user privacy” after laying off thousands of employees, the NYT wrote. ing. “The agency sought an individual interview with Musk to investigate, but the interview did not take place,” said a person familiar with the matter.
Musk’s request shows the seriousness of the investigation
The NYT, citing former FTC Chairman William Kovacic, said the CEO’s request for a meeting showed the company was taking the investigation seriously. “If you feel you can easily put it aside and you don’t think it’s a big concern, you’ll just ignore it…if you think it’s important, that’s why you’re looking for a meeting. deaf,” Kovacic said.
CEOs rarely seek meetings with the FTC’s chair or commissioners during investigations, but “such meetings are used by executives to convince senior officials that they are committed to keeping their commitments to the FTC.” It happens sometimes when you want to,” the NYT wrote.
Musk spoke last month with the FTC’s sole Republican commissioner, Christine Wilson. Wilson recently said he plans to resign from the FTC, accusing Khan of abusing his power. In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Wilson said, “My fundamental concern with her leadership of the Commission was its willful disregard for Congress-imposed limits on agency jurisdiction, its disregard for precedent. , and the abuse of power to achieve desired results.”
According to an FTC staff email paraphrased in the NYT article, Wilson “asked a copy of the FTC’s letter to Twitter requesting information and documents related to compliance with the Privacy Settlement.”
