Why the ‘Twitter Files’ Are Falling Flat

The public has recently gotten an inside peek at the workings of Twitter and Facebook, thanks to a pair of extraordinary document drops.

The first release — the “Facebook Files” — came in late 2021 from Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee. The second — the “Twitter Files” — came this month from Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner. Unfortunately for Musk, the “Twitter Files” are not having nearly the same impact as the “Facebook Files” did. And for good reason.

The two document drops are set apart by the methods of the media rollouts and the goals of the informants. The “Facebook Files” were the product of an intensive Wall Street Journal investigation, with Haugen later releasing the data to over a dozen major media outlets, who confirmed and amplified the original claims. Over at Twitter, Musk has given privileged access to some ideologically friendly journalists who must publish their findings on his platform.

Haugen’s ultimate goal was to blow the whistle on Facebook’s inability to reckon with the damage caused by its own product, and she largely succeeded. The “Facebook Files” helped drive a new narrative about how the social media company handled (or failed to handle) content moderation issues and fueled incitement across the globe.