Twitter Fined $350,000 Over Delayed Compliance with Trump Account Search Warrant

NEW DELHI: Elon Musk's Twitter, now known as X, has recently come under scrutiny for incurring a substantial fine of $350,000 due to its delayed adherence to a search warrant related to former US President Donald Trump's account on the platform. Unsealed court documents reported by The Verge shed light on this incident that unfolded earlier in the year.

The warrant in question was issued as part of a special investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith from the Department of Justice in January. The investigation aimed to delve into allegations of Trump's interference with the smooth transition of power following the 2020 election. The target of the search warrant was Trump's prominent Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump.

According to the newly unveiled documents, X raised objections on February 1, contending that the attached nondisclosure order infringed upon First Amendment rights encompassing freedom of religion, expression, assembly, and petition. This objection was lodged four days after the court-designated deadline, seeking the district court's validation of the legality of the nondisclosure order before complying with the warrant.

On February 2, X further sought the removal of the nondisclosure order, asserting that it impinged on the company's own First Amendment rights to communicate with their subscriber, Donald Trump. Following a hearing on February 7, the court found X in contempt but offered an avenue for the company to remedy the situation by submitting the requested materials before 5 p.m. that day.

However, X failed to meet this deadline and submitted incomplete records. Eventually, on February 9, the company furnished all the requested records to the government. As a consequence of missing the stipulated deadline, X was slapped with a significant fine amounting to $350,000.

It's noteworthy that Twitter had permanently suspended Trump's account on the platform in January 2021. Nevertheless, after Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform in November, he reinstated Trump's account.

In a nutshell, Elon Musk's Twitter, now known as X, has been handed a hefty fine of $350,000 due to its delayed compliance with a search warrant linked to former President Donald Trump's Twitter account. The recently disclosed court documents shed light on the company's objections to the warrant and subsequent court-mandated penalty owing to non-compliance.

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