The latest revelations from the Twitter Files have left many Americans feeling uneasy. It appears that the FBI used taxpayers’ money to pay Twitter to ban certain accounts, mostly those linked to conservatives and that there was a close relationship between the two organizations. The files also revealed that the FBI worked with Twitter to suppress a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop, with Twitter’s top lawyer Jim Baker personally intervening to ensure the story was blocked.
It seems that the FBI has been using social media companies to influence public opinion for some time now. It was revealed that the company had instituted a “reimbursement program” to pay Twitter staff to handle requests from the bureau. Furthermore, the files showed that so many ex-FBI staffers had joined Twitter that there was a private Slack channel set up just for them.
These latest revelations have prompted Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy to promise an investigation into Twitter’s behavior during the 2020 presidential election. McCarthy said on Fox News that the issue was “going to be a much bigger situation than people realize,” and that the GOP would be looking into “why the FBI is able to do this,” and “working together, using private businesses to go after individuals right before an election, denying the American public the truth?”
The revelations have also prompted current Twitter CEO Elon Musk to Tweet that the “government paid Twitter millions of dollars to censor info from the public.” The tweet also included a link to the latest Twitter Files, which Musk has been releasing to demonstrate the social media company’s past censorship initiatives.
The impact of the Twitter Files revelations is still yet to be felt. It’s clear that the FBI used its influence over the social media company to try to shape public opinion in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, and that this relationship was further deepened by the hiring of so many ex-FBI staffers. It remains to be seen if the incoming Republican majority in the House will hold a full investigation into this matter, but it’s clear that it has the potential to have a huge impact on American politics.
Twitter Files: FBI Paid Twitter to Spy on YOU! pic.twitter.com/xXalH4BcXF
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) December 21, 2022
