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US House panel subpoenas FTC for Twitter probe documents

US House panel subpoenas FTC for Twitter probe documents
Elon Musk’s photo is seen through a Twitter logo in this illustration taken October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the Federal Trade Commission‘s chair for documents related to the regulatory agency’s privacy probe of Twitter, the panel said on Wednesday.

In its statement, the committee said that Chairman Jim Jordan and others asked Chair Lina Khan about its probe of Twitter following its acquisition by Elon Musk. The committee said that Khan did not adequately respond to them or to their requests for documents and information.

The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The agency has been asking Twitter if it has the required resources to comply with the privacy consent decree, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters last year. One concern was whether Twitter had the staffing needed to abide by a May 2022 settlement with the U.S. regulator in which it agreed to improve its privacy practices and place responsibility on people who held relevant positions. The concerns had been prompted by mass layoffs at Twitter.