FTC opens probe into Media Matters over Musk's X boycott claims: report

The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into Media Matters over Elon Musk's claims that the left-wing advocacy group coordinated advertiser boycotts of his social media platform, X.

The civil investigation requests information about Media Matters' communications with groups that monitor misinformation and hate speech, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media, according to a document reviewed by Reuters on Thursday. X is already suing Media Matters and World Federation of Advertisers.

The FTC is demanding all documents that Media Matters has produced or received in the X lawsuit related to advertiser boycotts.

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said 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," Carusone said.

The FTC declined Reuters' request for comment and the World Federation of Advertisers didn't immediately respond to the wire's request for comment.

"We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms," Trump-appointed FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in December regarding online censorship.