Judge to FTC, F%$# You, Elon

Remember when Media Matters ran some tests on Ecch (formerly Twitter) where they showed that ads from mainstream advertisers were posted alongside Nazi content?

In response, the Trump FTC launched an investigation claiming that they had evidence of collusion in their report and advertiser activities.

Well, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan (really, that's her name) just called bullsh%$ on Elon Musk's attempt to retaliate against Media Matters for basic shoe leather reporting.

A federal judge granted an injunction on Friday blocking the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Media Matters, saying the inquiry violated the free speech rights of the liberal watchdog group, which had published research critical of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X.

In May, the F.T.C. began examining whether Media Matters illegally colluded with other advertising advocacy groups to pinch off revenue from X. Media Matters reported in 2023 that ads on X appeared alongside antisemitic content.

Media Matters sued the F.T.C., calling the inquiry a “campaign of retribution” waged on behalf of Mr. Musk and the Trump administration. On Friday, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed, calling the inquiry “a retaliatory act” and essentially blocking it from progressing, though the F.T.C. can appeal.

“This case presents a straightforward First Amendment violation,” Judge Sooknanan wrote in her ruling. She added, “It should alarm all Americans when the government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate.”

Yep, this was the Apartheid Era Emerald Heir Pedo Guy™ attempting to have the FTC engage in a SLAPP suit by proxy

………

Research published by Media Matters in 2023 showed that ads appeared on X alongside neo-Nazi posts and other antisemitic content. At the time, advertisers were withdrawing from the site, many citing concerns about hateful and violent content. In addition, Mr. Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory on the platform.

Mr. Musk has filed several lawsuits against Media Matters contending that its research interfered with X’s advertising business, and the organization was investigated by conservative attorneys general in Texas and Missouri. Mr. Musk’s lawsuits are ongoing, but a federal court halted the state investigations last year, ruling that they were likely to infringe on Media Matters’ right to free speech.

There will, of course, be appeals.