Latest news with #pre-Musk
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US FTC to investigate Media Matters after Elon Musk's Twitter ad boycott claims
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has demanded documents from non-profit watchdog Media Matters regarding possible coordination with other media watchdogs, a report claims. These groups were accused by Elon Musk of helping orchestrate advertiser boycotts of his social media platform X (earlier Twitter). The civil investigative demand, seen by the news agency Reuters, seeks information about Media Matters' communications with other organisations that evaluate misinformation and hate speech in news and social media. This includes the Global Alliance for Responsible Media , an initiative by the World Federation of Advertisers . Currently, X has ongoing lawsuits against both Media Matters and Global Alliance for Responsible Media. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the probe represents an escalation in government scrutiny. It aims to determine if groups like Media Matters assisted advertisers in coordinating efforts to withdraw ad spending from X after Musk acquired the social media site in 2022. What documents FTC has demanded from Media Matters The request covers all materials that the Washington, DC–based liberal advocacy organisation has created or obtained for its X lawsuit concerning advertiser boycotts. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by US President Donald Trump, also flagged the possibility of an investigation back in December 2024. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keep Your Home Efficient with This Plug-In elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo In a statement on an unrelated case, Ferguson said: 'We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms.' Meanwhile, in a statement to Reuters, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said that the Trump administration has 'been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics. It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account. These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission.' Last year, the House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Jim Jordan, accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media of orchestrating an illegal group boycott; that initiative was shut down in August 2024. While the FTC's investigative demand isn't proof of misconduct, it highlights heightened scrutiny, though not all probes lead to enforcement. Despite a modest rebound in ad spending on X projected for 2025, levels remain below their pre-Musk peak. In 2023, X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and major brands for allegedly conspiring to curb ad buys and Media Matters for defamation after the group highlighted ads appearing next to extremist content. Media Matters retaliated with its own lawsuit, claiming X filed 'abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits' to silence its reporting, a legal battle that has already cost the nonprofit millions. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
FTC probes Media Matters over Musk's X boycott claims, document shows
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has demanded documents from Media Matters about possible coordination with other media watchdogs accused by Elon Musk of helping orchestrate advertiser boycotts of X, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday. The civil investigative demand seeks information about Media Matters' communications with other groups that evaluate misinformation and hate speech in news and social media, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media. X has ongoing lawsuits against both organizations. The probe, first reported by Reuters, marks an escalation in U.S. government scrutiny of whether groups like Media Matters helped advertisers coordinate to pull ad dollars from X after Musk bought the social media site formerly known as Twitter in 2022. The demand seeks all documents Media Matters, a Washington, D.C.-based liberal advocacy group, has produced or received in the X lawsuit related to advertiser boycotts. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to run the agency, highlighted the potential for a probe in December. "We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms," Ferguson said in a statement on an unrelated case. Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said on Thursday that the Trump administration has "been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics." "It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account. These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission," he said. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican member Jim Jordan, accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media last year of coordinating an illegal group boycott. The initiative was shut down in August. A spokesperson for the FTC declined to comment. World Federation of Advertisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An investigative demand is not proof of wrongdoing, and not all investigations result in the FTC taking enforcement action. Advertising spending on X is set to increase in 2025 for the first time since Musk bought it in 2022, research firm Emarketer said in March, but it remains below its pre-Musk level. The Tesla CEO was a major donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and runs his initiative to slash the federal workforce. Last year, X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and a group of major brands in federal court in Texas, accusing them of illegally conspiring to curtail ad spending. The group has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, contending that advertisers chose other platforms based on their concerns about X's commitment to brand safety. Media Matters and X are battling each other in federal courts in Texas and California. X sued Media Matters in 2023, accusing the organization of defaming it in an article that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts on X that touted far-right extremist content. Media Matters has denied the allegations, and sued X, accusing it of abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits to punish the group for its reporting on advertising on X after Musk purchased the site. The organization has said defending against X's claims has cost it millions of dollars.
Business Mayor
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
FTC probes Media Matters over Elon Musk's X boycott claims, document shows
The civil investigative demand seeks information about Media Matters' communications with other groups that evaluate misinformation and hate speech in news and social media, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media. X has ongoing lawsuits against both organizations. The probe, first reported by Reuters, marks an escalation in U.S. government scrutiny of whether groups like Media Matters helped advertisers coordinate to pull ad dollars from X after Musk bought the social media site formerly known as Twitter in 2022. The demand seeks all documents Media Matters, a Washington, DC-based liberal advocacy group, has produced or received in the X lawsuit related to advertiser boycotts. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by president Donald Trump to run the agency, highlighted the potential for a probe in December. 'We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,' Ferguson said in a statement on an unrelated case. Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said on Thursday that the Trump administration has 'been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics.' 'It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account. These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission,' he said. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican member Jim Jordan, accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media last year of coordinating an illegal group boycott. The initiative was shut down in August. A spokesperson for the FTC declined to comment. World Federation of Advertisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An investigative demand is not proof of wrongdoing, and not all investigations result in the FTC taking enforcement action. Advertising spending on X is set to increase in 2025 for the first time since Musk bought it in 2022, research firm Emarketer said in March, but it remains below its pre-Musk level. The Tesla CEO was a major donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and runs his initiative to slash the federal workforce. Last year, X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and a group of major brands in federal court in Texas, accusing them of illegally conspiring to curtail ad spending. The group has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, contending that advertisers chose other platforms based on their concerns about X's commitment to brand safety. Media Matters and X are battling each other in federal courts in Texas and California. X sued Media Matters in 2023, accusing the organization of defaming it in an article that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts on X that touted far-right extremist content. Media Matters has denied the allegations, and sued X, accusing it of abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits to punish the group for its reporting on advertising on X after Musk purchased the site. The organization has said defending against X's claims has cost it millions of dollars. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella in Washington and Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
FTC probes Media Matters over Elon Musk's X boycott claims, document shows
The US Federal Trade Commission has demanded documents from Media Matters about possible coordination with other media watchdogs accused by Elon Musk of helping orchestrate advertiser boycotts of X, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday. The civil investigative demand seeks information about Media Matters' communications with other groups that evaluate misinformation and hate speech in news and social media, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media. X has ongoing lawsuits against both organizations. The probe, first reported by Reuters, marks an escalation in U.S. government scrutiny of whether groups like Media Matters helped advertisers coordinate to pull ad dollars from X after Musk bought the social media site formerly known as Twitter in 2022. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Crossout 2.0: Supercharged Crossout Play Now Undo The demand seeks all documents Media Matters, a Washington, DC-based liberal advocacy group, has produced or received in the X lawsuit related to advertiser boycotts. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by president Donald Trump to run the agency, highlighted the potential for a probe in December. "We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms," Ferguson said in a statement on an unrelated case. Live Events Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said on Thursday that the Trump administration has "been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics." Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories "It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account. These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission," he said. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican member Jim Jordan, accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media last year of coordinating an illegal group boycott. The initiative was shut down in August. A spokesperson for the FTC declined to comment. World Federation of Advertisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An investigative demand is not proof of wrongdoing, and not all investigations result in the FTC taking enforcement action. Advertising spending on X is set to increase in 2025 for the first time since Musk bought it in 2022, research firm Emarketer said in March, but it remains below its pre-Musk level. The Tesla CEO was a major donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and runs his initiative to slash the federal workforce. Last year, X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and a group of major brands in federal court in Texas, accusing them of illegally conspiring to curtail ad spending. The group has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, contending that advertisers chose other platforms based on their concerns about X's commitment to brand safety. Media Matters and X are battling each other in federal courts in Texas and California. X sued Media Matters in 2023, accusing the organization of defaming it in an article that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts on X that touted far-right extremist content. Media Matters has denied the allegations, and sued X, accusing it of abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits to punish the group for its reporting on advertising on X after Musk purchased the site. The organization has said defending against X's claims has cost it millions of dollars.
Business Mayor
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
FTC investigates media watchdog over Musk's X boycott claims, document shows
The US Federal Trade Commission has demanded documents from Media Matters about possible coordination with other media watchdogs accused by Elon Musk of helping orchestrate advertiser boycotts of X, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday. The civil investigative demand seen by Reuters seeks information about Media Matters' communications with other groups that evaluate misinformation and hate speech in news and social media, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media. X has ongoing lawsuits against both organizations. The inquiries mark an escalation in US government scrutiny of whether groups like Media Matters helped advertisers coordinate to pull ad dollars from X after Musk bought the social media site formerly known as Twitter in 2022. The demand seeks all documents Media Matters, a Washington DC-based liberal advocacy group, has produced or received in the X lawsuit related to advertiser boycotts. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson, who was appointed by Donald Trump to run the agency, highlighted the potential for an investigation in December. 'We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,' Ferguson said in a statement on an unrelated case. The US House judiciary committee, chaired by Republican member Jim Jordan, accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media last year of coordinating an illegal group boycott. The initiative was shut down in August. A spokesperson for the FTC declined to comment. Media Matters and the World Federation of Advertisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An investigative demand is not proof of wrongdoing, and not all investigations result in the FTC taking enforcement action. Advertising spending on X is set to increase in 2025 for the first time since Musk bought it in 2022, research firm Emarketer said in March, but it remains below its pre-Musk level. The Tesla CEO was a major donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and runs his initiative to slash the federal workforce. Last year, X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and a group of major brands in federal court in Texas, accusing them of illegally conspiring to curtail ad spending. The group has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, contending that advertisers chose other platforms based on their concerns about X's commitment to brand safety. Media Matters and X are battling each other in federal courts in Texas and California. X sued Media Matters in 2023, accusing the organization of defaming it in an article that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts on X that touted far-right extremist content. Media Matters has denied the allegations, and sued X, accusing it of abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits to punish the group for its reporting on advertising on X after Musk purchased the site. The organization has said defending against X's claims has cost it millions of dollars.
