FBI faces scrutiny for refusing to disclose communication records with Twitter
In December, journalist Matt Taibbi unveiled a series of emails, known as the 'Twitter Files,' which shed light on the extensive communication between FBI officials and Twitter. These emails revealed that the FBI consistently reached out to Twitter to highlight suspected instances of misinformation.
In a development this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declined to disclose any documentation regarding its interactions with Twitter concerning the policing of misinformation.
In December, journalist Matt Taibbi unveiled a series of emails, known as the "Twitter Files," which shed light on the extensive communication between FBI officials and Twitter. These emails revealed that the FBI consistently reached out to Twitter to highlight suspected instances of misinformation.
The obtained correspondence further disclosed the close collaboration between Twitter and the FBI's National Election Command Post (NECP) as well as the Foreign Influence Task Force in addressing concerns related to election misinformation.
Following the revelations brought forth by the Twitter Files, non-profit watchdog organization Protect the Public's Trust has taken action by submitting a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) petition. The request aims to obtain comprehensive documentation encompassing all communication records exchanged between the FBI and Twitter during the period spanning from January 2020 to November 2022.
In response to the aforementioned request, the FBI declined to provide a response, citing it “will neither confirm nor deny the existence” of the records.
“The mere acknowledgment of the existence of FBI records on third-party individuals could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,” the FBI told Protect the Public’s Trust.
“The FBI’s response to these requests is nothing short of bizarre,” Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, told the Washington Examiner. “They twisted the substance of the requests and then asserted the right to deny acknowledging if records even exist based upon their mangled interpretation, and even though they have already admitted that the records exist.”
Furthermore, Chamberlain emphasized that the FBI's failure to be transparent further exacerbates the “suspicion about what the agency’s officials may have been involved in.”
The watchdog organization intends to lodge an appeal against the FBI's decision, contending that there is “tremendous public interest in knowing how the FBI interacted with Twitter, particularly with respect to suppressing speech by American citizens.”
“There is no substantial privacy interest in the entirety of the requested records,” the watchdog wrote in the appeal.
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