The judge says the FTC’s investigation into media issues should “have to be wary of all Americans.”

The federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking an investigation into the issue of the Federal Trade Commission’s left-leaning advocacy group media.

In 2023, Media Issues published research showing that advertising from major companies appeared on Elon Musk-owned X along with anti-Semitism and other offensive content. He also appealed to advertisers and advertisers groups for alleging it was a “systematic, illegal boycott.”

After Musk’s then-Donald Trump re-inaugurated in January, the FTC began an investigation into whether media issues had illegally colluded with advertisers.

However, on Friday, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with media issues and blocked the FTC’s investigation. In her decision, Souknannan (a District Court judge of the District of Columbia appointed by Joe Biden) wrote that the Media Matters article represents a “typical First Amendment Act,” and that the FTC’s “spread” investigation request appears to be a “act of retaliation.”

“When a government retaliates against an individual or an organization for engaging in a constitutionally protected public debate, it should be vigilant for all Americans,” she wrote. “And that warning should sound even louder when the government retaliates against people engaged in newspaper collection and reporting.”

Before being appointed as current FTC chair, Sooknanan appeared on Steve Bannon’s podcast, calling on the FTC to investigate progressive groups criticizing online disinformation, and later said that he “bringed several senior staff members from the FTC who previously made public comments on media issues.”

The FTC did not immediately respond to a TechCrunch email asking if they were planning to appeal.

Regardless of legal consequences, X’s lawsuit has already had a major impact on target organizations, media issues have cut staff (one of the researchers is currently running for Congress), and the World Federation of Advertisers reportedly shut down its brand safety program and called for financial exhaustion.

Sooknanan said the FTC’s investigation also had “intended effects,” and media issues prompted the decision to “on pursuing a specific story about FTC, Chairman Ferguson and Mr Muss.”