Posted on 07/24/2025 2:04:13 PM PDT by CFW
A federal appeals court has struck down a sweeping gag order that prevented X from notifying users when their data was sought by the US government, declaring that the order failed to meet legal standards under federal privacy law.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in favor of X, finding that the lower court authorized nondisclosure orders without providing the specific findings required by the Stored Communications Act.
[link to order]
The ruling addressed a case where X had been barred from revealing to users that their personal data had been subpoenaed.
The conflict began when the federal government issued a subpoena demanding X turn over data belonging to two former FBI agents, Kyle Seraphin and Garrett O’Boyle.
Suspended from duty after nearly six years with the Bureau, Seraphin came forward in late 2021 to report what he saw as the politicization of FBI investigative powers, specifically the use of counterterrorism tools under the Patriot Act to monitor parents attending school board meetings.
[snip]
X celebrated the decision, saying the court “vindicated X’s challenge, ruling that the gag order exceeded the government’s authority.” The company added that it “welcomes the ruling, which will help ensure transparency and accountability in the U.S. government’s efforts to investigate its citizens.”
(Excerpt) Read more at reclaimthenet.org ...
It’s not surprising when you realize Trump’s Administration would be the entity requesting it of these D.C. judges.
I would like X to disclose information on government officials requesting the information. It should work both ways.
If a democrat was still president, they would have ruled the very opposite.
The D.C. Circuit denies the Institute for Peace's request for full court to overturn panel's stay. In other words, a Trump win.
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