The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from X, Elon Musk’s social media company, regarding prosecutors obtaining data from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account without notifying him. The case was part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump for alleged election interference in 2020. Despite Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the court ruled in favor of prosecutors obtaining the data. X’s lawyers argued that individuals should be informed when their data is being handed over to the government to protect free speech rights. The case originated in January of last year when a warrant was issued under the Stored Communications Act for Smith’s investigation, with a nondisclosure order preventing X from notifying Trump about it. X resisted initially and faced civil penalties before complying. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision. Smith eventually agreed that Trump could be notified about the warrant. Trump, not directly involved in the case, was unable to argue about the protection of the material due to his presidential status, as stated by X’s lawyers. The Supreme Court’s decision allows future prosecutors to obtain data without notifying the individuals involved, potentially impacting privacy and free speech rights.
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