Elon Musk's Twitter takeover faces FTC antitrust review after left-wing group that used to employ the agency's chair claimed the deal poses an 'immediate threat to American democracy'

UK Daily Mail ^ | May 05 2022 | KEITH GRIFFITH

[knighthawk]

The US Federal Trade Commission is reportedly reviewing Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter buyout for potential antitrust concerns.

The FTC now has 30 days to consider the deal and decide whether to issue a second request to probe the matter further, although most experts believe there are no antitrust concerns that could block the takeover, according to Bloomberg.

However, the anti-monopoly activist group Open Markets Initiative, where Democratic FTC Chair Lina Khan used to work, has urged the agency to block the deal, saying that it 'poses immediate and direct threats to American democracy and free speech.'

[econjack]

...it 'poses immediate and direct threats to American democracy and free speech.'

"it" refers to the old Twitter, right?

[bk1000]

The left can’t abide an alternate opinion. It would make them question their own.

[AU72]

Did they investigate Bezo’s take over the Washington Post?

[Sarah Barracuda]

Remember the motto, when the left says “Our Democracy” they mean the Communist agenda

[MercyFlush]

There are no anti-trust issues at play here. Twitter even under its current ownership has done nothing to frustrate competition from other similar platforms.

[Political Junkie Too]

There is no anti-trust issue; there is no anti-competitive issue; there is no first amendment issue; there is no national strategic issue; there are no foreign corrupt practices issues.

What exactly would the FTC rule on, excessive blocking?

-PJ

[Carl Vehse]

It appears the FTC has been weaponized by the Demonicrats.

[fuzzylogic]

Insane but not surprising!

Either there were anti-trust issue before Elon’s purchase or there wasn’t. A change in ownership is irrelevant.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

Silly,

That was celebrated. Bezos is one of theirs.

[SFRigger]

Not just the FTC, the entire federal bureaucracy.

[Red Badger]

I don’t recall that being a part of the Antitrust Laws............. 🤔

[NicoDon]

if its an immediate threat to US democracy then that means twitter is the de facto town square\public forum. If its the de facto town square\public forum it is an infringement of the rights protected by the 1st Amendment for the corporation to (censor) moderate messages that are not otherwise illegal.

So musk wins and gets twitter, and it becomes more 1st Amendment oriented

or

The FTC blocks the sale, musk loses out, but the existing ownership is then forced (via class action lawsuit) to stop (censoring) moderating messages that are not otherwise illegal.

[captain_jonas]

The irony here is that the Daily Mail’s Ukraine coverage is entirely coming from the George Soros Open Society Foundations

[Nathan _in_Arkansas]

Everything the left disagrees with is “an immediate threat to our democracy!”

Patent pending.

[NWFree]

It poses a threat to libtard speech control freaks terrified of free thought 🤪

Don’t cooperate with these nazi nut bags

[TornadoAlley3]

Please keep our SCOTUS justices safe.

[EasySt]

Yeah, I’ve got their “Free Speech” right here:

https://twitter.com/easystreet4/status/1286763403847979008?s=21

[BiglyCommentary]

Free speech is threatened by removing censorship. COO COO, COO COO, COO COO.

[Mariner]

“The US Federal Trade Commission is reportedly reviewing Elon Musk’s $44 billion Twitter buyout for potential antitrust concerns. “

Private purchase of a public company on the open market.

Cash deal.

Managed and owned by a private entity which has NO OTHER related business interests.

They have no legal method to interfere and this purchase will proceed.