FTC Twitter Investigation Sought Elon Musk’s Internal Communications, Journalist Names

Documents obtained by a House panel shed light on the probe into Twitter’s compliance with settlement By Ryan Tracy March 7, 2023 4:30 pm ET

WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission has demanded Twitter Inc. turn over internal communications related to owner Elon Musk and detailed information about layoffs and other business decisions as part of a wide-ranging investigation into the company, documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal show.

In 12 letters sent to Twitter and its lawyers since Mr. Musk’s Oct. 27 takeover, the FTC also asked the company to “identify all journalists” granted access to company records and to provide information about the launch of the revamped Twitter Blue subscription service, the documents show.  

The FTC is also seeking to depose Mr. Musk in connection with the probe. The so-called demand letters were obtained by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, which planned to publish excerpts of them Tuesday in a staff report about the FTC’s investigation. The letters indicate Twitter responded to the FTC, but that the agency as of late January felt the company was engaging in a “troubling pat…