Judge blocks FTC probe of Media Matters over First Amendment grounds

A federal judge blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Media Matters for America, ruling that the probe is likely a violation of the First Amendment and appears to be retaliation for the nonprofit’s reporting on Elon Musk’s X platform. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, granted a preliminary injunction that halts the FTC’s civil investigative demand issued earlier this year as part of a probe into an advertiser boycott and related activities around X.

The decision centers on concerns that the agency sought to punish or deter journalistic activity rather than pursue a legitimate antitrust inquiry. The judge wrote that the civil investigative demand would deter a reporter of ordinary firmness from speaking again and that the investigation had its intended chilling effect on Media Matters’ reporting. She noted that Media Matters had decided not to pursue certain stories about the FTC, its chairman and Musk, as a result of the inquiry, highlighting the broader risk to press freedom when government investigations intersect with ongoing coverage of public issues.

Media Matters has been a frequent target in the unfolding dispute over X’s...