One of the latest Twitter Files batch demonstrated that Old Twitter and the FBI colluded to suppress FBI-disparaged information and that the FBI paid Old Twitter’s costs in the doing to the tune of more than $3.4 million dollars. The Twitter File release carried, among other things, email exchanges between FBI worthies and then-Twitter functionaries talking about the exchanges and the payment for the quid pro quo.
Of course the FBI, in its best wide-eyed innocent Dondi impression, denies any such kind of interaction.
We are providing it [the input] so that they can take whatever action they deem appropriate under their terms of service to protect their platform and protect their customers, but we never direct or ask them to take action[.]
An example of the FBI’s “input:”
Hello Twitter contacts, FBI San Francisco is notifying you of the below accounts which may potentially constitute violations of Twitter’s Terms of Service for any action or inaction deemed appropriate within Twitter policy[.]
However, FBI officials insist
We did no [sic] request anything of the sort.
We focus on activities attributed to foreign actors, not on the content or narrative[.]
But for the non-requests, Old Twitter functionaries bragged about the payments.
Jim [then-Deputy General Counsel Baker], FYI, in 2019 SCALE instituted a reimbursement program for our legal process response from the FBI. Prior to the start of the program, Twitter chose not to collect under this statutory right of reimbursement for the time spent processing requests from the FBI. I am happy to report we have collected $3,415,323 since October 2019!
This, too, FBI officials…demurred from.
…[the payment was just] reasonable costs and expenses associated with their response to a legal process…for complying with legal requests, and a standard procedure.
…
We don’t just reimburse Twitter….
Well then, FBI Director Chris Wray. Show us the logs. Show us the notes taken by the FBI agents in their conversations with Twitter functionaries. Show us the accounting books.