X, formerly Twitter, in the crosshairs of the US government

The US government fears that the social network

The Justice Department asked a judge to reject the company’s attempt to avoid obligations assumed in May 2022, according to a court document filed Monday night in a San Francisco court.

The platform then agreed to pay a fine of $150 million and undergo periodic controls to verify that it complied with the rules imposed by the US competition agency (FTC).

“This request is unfounded and must be rejected”

Last July, X asked the courts to terminate or modify this agreement. “X now seeks to divest itself of this agreement and limit scrutiny of its data practices. This motion is without merit and should be dismissed,” the department’s attorneys say in Monday’s filing.

Following the acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, Elon Musk quickly fired more than half of the Californian group’s employees, including many senior managers familiar with these rules.

The FTC then warned the social network that it risked significant fines if it did not comply with the agreement. “No CEO or company is above the law,” stressed a spokesperson for the federal agency.

An agreement reached in 2022

Ministry lawyers analyze major upheavals within the company, from resignations to chaotic launches of new features. “The FTC had every reason to try to find out whether these facts indicated a breach by X of its obligations,” they say.

They also ask the court to reject the billionaire’s request not to have to testify. “X is not entitled to a protective order suspending Musk’s statement. Contrary to X’s claims, Musk has unique, firsthand knowledge of the current state and direction of the company’s data and security practices.” their efforts to comply with the 2022 administrative order,” they detail.

The 2022 settlement was reached after the FTC accused Twitter of misleading its users from 2013 to 2019 by hiding from them that it was using their personal data to help advertisers send them targeted advertising.

In particular, it provided for the establishment of a “comprehensive information security program”, the preliminary evaluation of any new products or services requiring the collection of personal data, and independent audits.