A federal judge granted an injunction on Friday blocking the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Media Matters, saying the inquiry violated the free speech rights of the liberal watchdog group, which had published research critical of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X.
In May, the F.T.C. began examining whether Media Matters illegally colluded with other advertising advocacy groups to pinch off revenue from X. Media Matters reported in 2023 that ads on X appeared alongside antisemitic content.
Media Matters sued the F.T.C., calling the inquiry a “campaign of retribution” waged on behalf of Mr. Musk and the Trump administration. On Friday, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed, calling the inquiry “a retaliatory act” and essentially blocking it from progressing, though the F.T.C. can appeal.
“This case presents a straightforward First Amendment violation,” Judge Sooknanan wrote in her ruling. She added, “It should alarm all Americans when the government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate.”
Andrew Ferguson, the F.T.C. chairman appointed by Mr. Trump, has argued that advertiser boycotts are a form of censorship and can eliminate funding for important online venues for speech.
The F.T.C.’s investigation is among several actions by the Trump administration against leading individuals and organizations in the political left, including some elite law firms and the Democratic fund-raising platform ActBlue.
As part of its inquiry, the F.T.C. is also looking into whether roughly a dozen other prominent advertising and advocacy groups violated antitrust law by coordinating boycotts among advertisers.
A spokesman for the F.T.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for X did not respond to requests for comment.
“The court’s ruling demonstrates the importance of fighting over folding, which far too many are doing when confronted with intimidation from the Trump administration,” Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, said in a statement. “We will continue to stand up and fight for the First Amendment rights that protect every American.”
Research published by Media Matters in 2023 showed that ads appeared on X alongside neo-Nazi posts and other antisemitic content. At the time, advertisers were withdrawing from the site, many citing concerns about hateful and violent content. In addition, Mr. Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory on the platform.
Mr. Musk has filed several lawsuits against Media Matters contending that its research interfered with X’s advertising business, and the organization was investigated by conservative attorneys general in Texas and Missouri. Mr. Musk’s lawsuits are ongoing, but a federal court halted the state investigations last year, ruling that they were likely to infringe on Media Matters’ right to free speech.
The legal pressures have plunged Media Matters into crisis, as the group has conducted layoffs and scrambled to raise more cash from skittish donors, The New York Times reported last month.
Kate Conger is a technology reporter based in San Francisco. She can be reached at [email protected].
The post Judge Blocks F.T.C. Investigation of Media Matters appeared first on New York Times.
