The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) inquiry into Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog group that has been vocally criticizing the increase in hate speech on X after Elon Musk took over the platform, has been blocked by a federal judge.
Musk’s ownership of X, formerly Twitter, has been the subject of constant criticism from Media Matters. Musk has called the group a nasty propaganda machine after it released reports showing the proliferation of hate speech.
An injunction against the FTC was given on Friday by U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, who ruled that the agency’s investigation, which was presented as an investigation into advertiser boycotts on social media, violated Media Matters’ First Amendment rights.
Sooknanan wrote that when the government retaliates against people or groups for participating in public discourse that is permitted by the constitution, it should worry all Americans.
In order to obtain documentation about potential coordination between Media Matters and other watchdog organizations, the FTC issued a civil investigative demand (CID) in May. Musk has accused them of conspiring to dissuade advertisers from using X, and the FTC sought to ascertain whether this cooperation would constitute antitrust crimes.
In response, Media Matters filed a lawsuit against the FTC, claiming that the agency’s actions were politically motivated reprisals for its coverage of Musk. The Associated Press claims that the FTC has not made any public comments.
Already embroiled in another legal battle, Musk filed a lawsuit against Media Matters last year after the latter revealed that racist and antisemitic posts were appearing alongside advertisements on X.
Given that the case involves criticism of a Trump supporter, Sooknanan’s ruling indicated that Media Matters’ claim that the FTC’s actions were retaliatory is likely to succeed.
Musk has long been a political ally of President Trump, despite their recent strained relationship. He briefly led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during Trump’s second administration and is said to have spent up to $300 million backing Trump and the Republican Party in the 2024 election.
Angelo Carusone, head of Media Matters, applauded the decision, saying:
The court’s decision highlights the value of standing up to the Trump administration’s intimidation, which far too many people are doing. The drive to penalize and silence Media Matters is not the only aspect of this case. It is a crucial test to see whether the courts will permit any administration to utilize unlawful abuses of power to intimidate the media and nonprofit organizations.
Judge Sooknanan came to the conclusion in her order that Media Matters just needed to win its First Amendment retaliation claim at this point.
