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Federal Trade Commission investigates Media Matters, watchdog sued by Musk

The Washington Post · Frances Vinall · last updated

Media Matters, a left-leaning watchdog group that publishes reports on conservative media and social media platforms such as Elon Musk’s X, said it received a civil investigative demand letter from the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday.

The letter demanded materials related to a lawsuit filed by Musk, communications with other media and advertising groups dating back to 2019, and information about its technology, methods and policies, among an extensive range of materials, according to a person familiar with the letter’s contents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss legal matters. The FTC sends letters of demand as part of its investigations into organizations that it believes could have breached federal regulations.

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