EPIC and Coalition Urge FTC to Reject X’s Request to Waive Privacy Violation Order

On July 2, EPIC and a coalition of 14 other civil society groups submitted comments urging the FTC to reject X Corp. (X)’s petition to waive an order requiring the company to report regularly to the FTC for its violations of user data. 

The order, issued in 2022, resulted from the company engaging in deceptive practices against its users about its privacy and advertising practices. It also fined Twitter (now X) $150 million for using personal information users had provided for account security purposes, like phone numbers and email addresses, for targeted advertising.

The 2022 order renewed a 2011 order from an earlier FTC violation. In that action, the FTC found that Twitter failed to secure users’ personal information, leaving it exposed to hackers.

The 2011 settlement banned Twitter from misrepresenting its data protection measures, required it to set up safeguards on user data, and mandated that it regularly report its security posture for twenty years. X’s obligations expire in 2042, per the 2022 order.

X contends that the FTC should set aside its 2022 order, citing the company’s “total transformation” under the leadership of Elon Musk, who bought X that same year. EPIC, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Demand Progress Education Fund, and the rest of the coalition vehemently disagree. X Corp. and its current leadership present a serious risk to Americans’ privacy and data security, demonstrating the need for continued FTC oversight.

“The FTC should unequivocally reject X Corp.’s brazen attempt to escape accountability at the expense of the American people,” the coalition’s comments read. “The Commission should keep the 2022 Order wholly intact for the duration that the four bipartisan commissioners and the company originally negotiated and agreed to.”

EPIC routinely files comments in response to proposed FTC consent orders regarding business practices that violate privacy rights.