{"id":2110684,"date":"2023-11-29T08:05:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T13:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/special-counsel-jack-smith-sought-info-on-anyone-who-favorited-or-retweeted-trump-tweets\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T08:10:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T13:10:01","slug":"special-counsel-jack-smith-sought-info-on-anyone-who-favorited-or-retweeted-trump-tweets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/special-counsel-jack-smith-sought-info-on-anyone-who-favorited-or-retweeted-trump-tweets\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Counsel Jack Smith investigated individuals who &#8216;liked or shared&#8217; Trump tweets"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspecial-counsel-jack-smith-sought-info-on-anyone-who-favorited-or-retweeted-trump-tweets%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2110684&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Special \u2064Counsel\u200c Seeks Information on Users Engaging with\u200c Trump&#8217;s\u200d Twitter Account<\/h2>\n<p>In a stunning revelation, Special\u2064 Counsel Jack Smith\u2063 has been on \u200da mission \u200cto uncover information about users who liked or retweeted posts from former \u2063President Donald Trump.\u200c The details \u2062of this investigation were recently released in \u200credacted search warrants and other documents.<\/p>\n<p>The heavily redacted document, issued to Twitter \u2063in January, \u2064reveals that the\u200c court ordered \u200bthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-bans-gop-account-allows-inflammatory-dnc-ads\/\" title=\"Facebook bans GOP account, allows inflammatory DNC ads\">social media giant<\/a> to provide a wealth of \u2062information about Trump&#8217;s account.\u2063 This includes advertising \u200binformation, IP addresses, privacy settings, and even Trump&#8217;s search history and direct messages.<\/p>\n<p>But it doesn&#8217;t\u200c stop there. Smith&#8217;s\u200d warrant also demanded data \u2064on Twitter users who interacted with Trump&#8217;s account. This includes a \u200clist of \u200cusers who\u2064 followed, unfollowed, muted, blocked, or unblocked\u2062 Trump during a specific timeframe. Smith\u200b also sought information on users who engaged \u2062with Trump&#8217;s \u200dtweets, including those \u2062who favorited, retweeted, or mentioned him.<\/p>\n<p>The release of \u200bthese documents comes as media organizations sought \u2064to shed light on Smith&#8217;s investigation into \u2064Trump&#8217;s \u2063actions leading up\u200b to the January 6, \u200c2021, riot at the US Capitol. \u200dSmith, who previously indicted Trump\u2062 on questionable charges, has been accused of weaponizing\u2064 the government against the former president.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter initially \u2064resisted Smith&#8217;s demands, citing First Amendment concerns. However, the social media giant eventually complied with the warrant but faced a hefty fine for\u2063 failing\u2062 to meet the special counsel&#8217;s deadline.<\/p>\n<p>In opposing Twitter&#8217;s attempts to notify Trump of the search, Smith \u200bbaselessly claimed that informing the former\u200d president \u2062would jeopardize the\u2064 investigation. The\u200b court filing, heavily redacted, \u200dsupports this claim but \u200cleaves many questions \u200bunanswered.<\/p>\n<p>Smith&#8217;s relentless \u2062pursuit of Trump&#8217;s personal\u200d social media information and the data of \u200dthose who engaged \u200bwith his posts is just one example of \u200bthe special counsel&#8217;s efforts to silence \u200bthe \u2062former president. In addition \u2064to the indictment, Smith successfully\u200d imposed a gag order \u2064on Trump, infringing on his First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s \u200blegal team \u200chas \u200bappealed the gag order, arguing its unconstitutional nature. The battle continues in the courts, with\u2064 the possibility\u2063 of the \u2063case reaching the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Shawn Fleetwood is a \u2064staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served\u2063 as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics,\u200d RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow\u200b him on\u2064 Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How \u200cdoes the collection and use of user \u2064data by both private corporations and\u2064 government entities challenge\u2062 individual privacy \u200drights?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Information\u2064 such as usernames, user \u2063IDs, engagement metrics, and other user-specific data. The request for such extensive information raises concerns about privacy and the potential infringement of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-denied-request-for-delay-in-jan-6-hearing-after-truth-social-tirade-against-judge\/\" title=\"Trump refused to postpone Jan. 6 hearing despite criticizing judge on Truth Social.\">free \u200bspeech rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The motive\u2062 behind Smith&#8217;s\u200c quest \u200cfor user information remains unclear. Some speculate \u2063that it is part\u2063 of a broader \u200dinvestigation into \u200calleged\u200c meddling and foreign \u200dinfluence in \u200dthe 2016 presidential election, while \u200cothers believe it may be an attempt to target individuals who have been \u2063critical of the former President.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless \u2063of the\u200d intent, this revelation has ignited a\u200b debate about the \u2064boundaries of privacy in the digital age. \u200bSocial media platforms have become an \u2064integral part of our daily\u2062 lives, serving as\u2062 a\u200b platform\u200d for free expression and engagement with public figures. However, the collection and\u2064 use of user data by both\u200d private corporations and government entities present significant \u2062challenges in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/appeals-court-strikes-blow-to-gun-owner-privacy-rights-in-ruling-accommodating-violence-researchers\/\" title=\"Appeals Court undermines gun owner privacy in favor of 'violence researchers\">preserving individual privacy rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This case\u2062 also highlights the power that \u200bsocial media companies hold in our society. It is concerning to see a court ordering a platform like Twitter to divulge extensive user data, \u2064which \u2064may have a chilling\u200d effect on the openness and transparency\u200c of online discourse. Users\u2064 may think\u200d twice before engaging with public figures or expressing their \u2062opinions freely, fearing potential repercussions \u2063and intrusive \u2063investigations.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u2062 the scope of the investigation raises questions about\u2064 its proportionality. Is it justified to go after individual users who simply liked or retweeted posts\u2063 from Trump&#8217;s\u200b account? While\u2064 it is essential to\u200b investigate any potential criminal activities, such as threats or harassment, targeting users solely based on their engagement with a public\u200d figure seems\u200b excessive and could be \u2063seen as an intimidation \u200btactic.<\/p>\n<p>In light of this revelation, it is crucial for\u2062 individuals \u200cto be aware of their digital footprint and how their\u2064 online interactions may be \u200cmonitored or\u2062 used against them. It also underscores the need for clear and robust regulations surrounding data \u2063privacy and the limits \u200dof governmental access to user information.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, the Special Counsel&#8217;s investigation into users\u2063 engaging \u200bwith Trump&#8217;s Twitter account must be subject \u2063to scrutiny\u200d and \u200doversight. \u200bThe balance between security and privacy must \u2062be carefully maintained to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-just-reprehensible-connecticut-representative-rejects-bill-declaring-racism-a-public-health-crisis-in-state\/\" title=\"\u2018It\u2019s Just Reprehensible\u2019: Connecticut Representative Rejects Bill Declaring Racism A Public Health Crisis in State\">protect individual rights<\/a> and preserve the democratic values that underpin our society.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u200bthe revelation that Special Counsel Jack Smith is seeking information on users who\u200b engaged with \u2064former President Trump&#8217;s Twitter account raises significant concerns about privacy and free speech rights. \u200cThe extensive request for user\u2064 information and \u2064engagement data highlights the \u2064challenges posed by\u2062 the collection and use of digital data by both private corporations and governmental\u200b entities. This case emphasizes the need for\u200d robust regulations \u200band oversight to protect individual privacy rights and maintain the\u2062 transparency and openness\u200d of online discourse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Special Counsel Jack Smith sought data on X users who engaged with posts by ex-President Donald Trump, as per redacted search warrants and documents disclosed on Monday. In January, a heavily redacted court document instructed Twitter to surrender a range of information concerning the matter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2110685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2110684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2110684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2110685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2110684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2110684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2110684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}