Matt Taibbi, one of the journalists who released threads of the files obtained from Twitter, was called to testify before Congress about the Twitter Files. Taibbi had previously released a statement to Congress in which he warned of the dangers of state-sponsored censorship and argued that the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) probe into Twitter was a political tool against the social media giant.
In his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Matt Taibbi spoke of the importance of protecting freedom of speech. He warned that the FTC’s investigation into Twitter was an attempt to manipulate the company and impose state-sponsored censorship. Taibbi also addressed the Republican party’s use of “cherry-picked,” information to attack the tech giant.
Matt Taibbi also discussed the FBI’s relationship with Twitter, alleging that the agency had used its influence to manipulate the company. He also pointed to teleporter communication that had been sent to particular agencies prior to his testimony.
Taibbi also raised the issue of Elon Musk, who had handpicked journalists to comb through Twitter’s internal messages for evidence of free speech violations. Taibbi argued that the investigation was being used to stifle free speech and that the results of the probe should not be used to punish Twitter.
The journalist also raised the issue of the lack of transparency surrounding the FTC’s investigation. He pointed out that the agency had not released any information about the probe, nor had it provided any details about its findings. Taibbi argued that this lack of transparency was a threat to the public’s right to know.
Finally, Taibbi called on Congress to put an end to the FTC’s investigation into Twitter, arguing that the probe was a form of political theatre and that it should not be used to punish the social media giant.
In the days since his testimony, Matt Taibbi has continued to speak out against the FTC’s probe into Twitter. He has urged Congress to end the investigation and to protect freedom of speech.