Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a tsunami of online derision Monday following an announcement the his office would be launching an investigation into Twitter's "potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act."
The state attorney general said in a press release that his office will be investigating the number of bot accounts—often coded to create automatic posts and responses or controlled by AI—on the social media platform because "Texans rely on Twitter's public statements that nearly all its users are real people." He further claimed he has a "duty to protect Texans" from any fake accounts that may be driving up the company's revenue.
If Twitter has underreported it’s number of fake bot accounts these numbers might have negatively impacted Texas consumers and businesses.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) June 6, 2022
We need more information — that’s why I’ve launched an investigation to get the answers we need. https://t.co/tqSFExwOh9
Paxton's declaration came hours after tech billionaire Elon Musk threatened to call off his ongoing $44 billion acquisition of the company, and many on the Internet were struck by the lack of coincidence as well as the attorney general's decision to focus state resources and manpower into vetting the workings of a social media conglomerate at a time when Texans continue to demand answers and political action in the aftermath of the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Hey man, I agree - as a father of 2 kids in Texas I want to make sure there are never any bots at their school
— Guy Freire (@guy_freire) June 6, 2022
Can’t do anything about mass school shootings, but Ken Paxton sure does have the time and resources to investigate twitter bots to try and help Elon save his $1 Billion kill fee to pull out the deal. pic.twitter.com/NBExgOmIt8
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 6, 2022
Can’t do anything about mass school shootings, but Ken Paxton sure does have the time and resources to investigate twitter bots to try and help Elon save his $1 Billion kill fee to pull out the deal. pic.twitter.com/NBExgOmIt8
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 6, 2022
Indicted TX AG Ken Paxton got a lot of practice kissing Trump's ring - now it's Elon's turn. https://t.co/Od7EJVLQHx
— krista (@keyocean) June 6, 2022
19 kids were slaughtered while cops stood by and did nothing and Ken Paxton is investigating Twitter. https://t.co/SxXnvKhONK
— Ryan Nelson-Cain (@SweetCainMusic) June 6, 2022
Some noted the irony of Paxton's Twitter investigation considering his own ongoing legal troubles, which include a slate of 2015 indictments for felony securities fraud for which the Republican attorney general has yet to stand trial.
And as we all know, Ken Paxton is an expert on securities fraud
— Evan (@evan7257) June 6, 2022
Reminder that TX AG Ken Paxton is still under indictment for securities fraud.
— Sarah Posner (@sarahposner) June 6, 2022
Reminder that TX AG Ken Paxton is still under indictment for securities fraud.
— Sarah Posner (@sarahposner) June 6, 2022
When will you go to trial, for the securities fraud charges you are facing, @KenPaxtonTX?? It’s been seven years since you were charged. https://t.co/WGM7N0931g
— Raul Montemayor® (@RaulM956) June 6, 2022
The attorney general's indictments are rooted in now-seven-year-old allegations that he persuaded investors to purchase stock in a technology company without disclosing that he would receive a commission in return for their purchases. Paxton has maintained his innocence and legal watchdogs remain baffled as to his ability to string along the legal process.