A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the FTC from investigating Media Matters following its research on offensive content on Elon Musk-owned X. After advertisers withdrew from the platform, X sued Media Matters and others for an alleged boycott. The FTC initiated an investigation into potential collusion with advertisers. Judge Sooknanan ruled that the actions constituted First Amendment activity and described the FTC's actions as potentially retaliatory. She noted conflicts involving FTC Chair Ferguson's past comments and the implications of such government actions.
Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan stated that the Media Matters article represented "quintessential First Amendment activity" and described the FTC's investigative demands as "a retaliatory act."
Sooknanan expressed concern over government retaliation against organizations for engaging in public debate, emphasizing that incidents should alarm all Americans.
She highlighted that FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson had previously called for investigations into progressive groups criticizing online disinformation, raising potential bias in the investigation.
The lawsuits from X have already had significant effects on targeted organizations, regardless of the legal outcomes expected.
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