(Bloomberg) -- An anti-monopoly group that once employed US Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan is joining the chorus of advocates and lawmakers urging the federal government to investigate Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter Inc.  

In a letter to Khan and the heads of the Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Federal Communications Commission, the Open Markets Institute argues that Twitter ought to be considered a public utility, given the platform’s role in civic discourse and disaster response around the world. 

The organization also questioned whether Musk is managing his other business ventures independently from Twitter, especially the satellite enterprise Starlink, operated by SpaceX, which has been an important strategic communications tool for US allies. 

Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter last month “does not fit easily” into corporate cases that the US agencies are accustomed to investigating, according to the letter, which was sent Wednesday. Still, the organization makes a case that there is historical precedent for taking steps to protect such an important platform, such as the government’s regulation of AT&T throughout the 20th century. 

“The public has a right to know that our government is investigating every potentially troublesome aspect of this deal, and using every existing authority to ensure that the managers of Twitter and Starlink neither misuse nor destroy either platform,” according to the letter. 

Read More: Twitter Tumbles as US Weighs Security Reviews for Musk Deals 

Barry Lynn, head of Open Markets and Khan’s former boss, said his concerns aren’t about Musk personally, but rather about concentrated power in the hands of one person. He compared the regulation of Twitter to the early days of the telegraph, electricity and telephone services once those technologies became crucial for modern communication. 

“My personal biggest concern is that platforms that are essential to democratic debate are being taken over by a single private individual who has manifested an intention to use this platform to serve his own private political and economic interests,” said Lynn in an interview. “That’s unacceptable in a democracy.”

Bloomberg has reported that administration officials have discussed studying Musk’s web of sensitive business interests, as he leads Tesla Inc., SpaceX, Twitter and other enterprises. 

President Joe Biden last week said Musk’s “cooperation and or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at.” Others, including Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and member of the Foreign Relations Committee, have questioned the participation of investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar in financing Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised concerns about Musk’s comments regarding Taiwan and what he considers his reliance on China. 

Read More: Democrat Murphy Urges Security Review of Saudi Twitter Backing

This is the challenge for regulators confronting the increasing influence of the world’s richest man, who has used his first few weeks leading Twitter to “radically alter this essential communications platform to favor his own personal interests and political views,” the letter says. 

The letter argues that the FTC, Justice Department and the FCC are uniquely positioned to lead a review of the Twitter deal, but that other government entities like the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve and the departments of Defense and Treasury also have a role to play. 

The FTC has been scrutinizing Twitter’s privacy and data-security compliance since a 2011 consent order resolved allegations that the company had failed to adequately protect user data. Twitter in May paid a $150 million penalty for violating the order by misusing email addresses provided for security purposes.

In the wake of Musk’s acquisition and the departure of senior Twitter executives, FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar said the agency is focused on privacy issues addressed by the consent decree and is “tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern.” He said the revised order gives the agency “new tools to ensure compliance.”

Farrar on Thursday confirmed that the FTC received the letter, and he declined to comment on its content. The FCC and Justice Department didn’t respond to requests for comment about the Open Markets Institute letter. 

(Updates with FTC comment beginning in the penultimate paragraph)

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.