Elon Musk Argues Twitter No Longer Exists to Escape FTC Order
Musk is using the corporate restructuring of Twitter into X, then into xAI, then into SpaceX, as a legal argument to void a $150 million privacy fine and FTC oversight that runs until 2042.
Key Facts
- Elon Musk filed a petition with the FTC to rescind a 2022 consent order against Twitter, arguing the company no longer exists after being renamed X and acquired by xAI and then SpaceX.
- The FTC order requires monitoring of Twitter's data practices until 2042.
- Musk previously tried to vacate the order in 2023 but failed.
- The FTC is accepting public comments on Musk's petition until July 2, 2026, before making a decision.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Elon Musk has petitioned the FTC to rescind a 2022 consent order against Twitter, arguing the company no longer exists after being renamed to X and acquired by xAI and then SpaceX. The FTC is accepting public comments until July 2, 2026, before deciding.
Elon Musk has filed a new petition with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission asking it to rescind a 2022 consent order against Twitter, arguing that the company that violated privacy rules no longer exists. The order stemmed from Twitter collecting phone numbers and email addresses from over 140 million users for security purposes between 2013 and 2019, then using that data for targeted advertising. The FTC fined Twitter $150 million and required monitoring of data practices until 2042.
Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X in 2023, previously tried to vacate the order in 2023 but failed. Since then, Musk's AI company xAI acquired X in 2025, and SpaceX acquired xAI later that year. Musk now argues the order was issued to a company that no longer exists and that all responsible parties have left. He also claims the order chills speech on X and conflicts with President Trump's AI action plan. The FTC is accepting public comments until July 2, 2026, before making a decision.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.