FCC Commissioner Simington Comments On Acquisition Of Twitter

Federal Communications Commissioner Nathan Simington released a statement regarding Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. "Some have recently called on the FCC to stop Elon Musk from acquiring Twitter," he said. "But nothing in the United States Code or our regulations gives us the right to interfere with this transaction. Our competition review authority does not and has never extended to internet platforms like Twitter. But even if this deal were within our purview, it would be inappropriate and contrary to the public interest to block it. Mr. Musk’s acquisition does not raise any concerns about vertical or
horizontal concentration in the social media market, and there is no reason to think it would otherwise limit competition or harm consumer welfare." The commissioner stated, regarding Starlink, "Concerns about Mr. Musk controlling both Twitter and Starlink—a broadband provider currently serving less than one percent of Americans—cannot be taken seriously. The FCC cannot, and should not, block this sale. We should instead applaud Mr. Musk for doing something about a serious problem that government has so far failed to address." "Finally," he concluded, "I am particularly troubled by arguments that the federal government must act with the purpose of stopping Mr. Musk from enshrining free expression on Twitter. The only merit in such proposals is their candor in proposing something so blatantly illegal. The law in this country does not recognize a government interest in restricting the open exchange of ideas. Labeling content as “fake news” or “disinformation” does not change that. It would be not only unconstitutional, but plainly un-American, for any arm of the government to act against Twitter or Mr. Musk for such a purpose."