US authorities are investigating a Saudi and Qatar grant holder, secret information on Twitter

US authorities investigate Musk's intention to grant Saudi

and Qatari authorities access to confidential information on Twitter

According to a report, top foreign investors will have access to confidential information about Twitter's finances, and possibly its users, under the terms of Elon Musk's deal to buy this social media site.

This comes as U.S.

Treasury officials begin considering whether they have the legal authority to launch an investigation into the Twitter sale, because of Musk's relations with governments and foreign investors, people familiar with those discussions told the Washington Post.

It was not immediately clear whether Treasury officials were aware of the conditions for granting information rights to major investors.

White House

officials also discussed earlier a review of Musk's acquisition of Twitter.

Earlier

FBI officials considered the risks of possible counterintelligence posed by the transaction, according to two people familiar with the investigation.

However, it is unclear whether those discussions are still active.

Investors who supported Musk's purchase of

Twitter include a Saudi prince holding company, a subsidiary of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, as well as Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange founded in China but which has since moved operations elsewhere. Tesla, where Musk is CEO, also enjoys extensive relations with China.

The US government's

initial attempts to examine the Twitter deal come as the US billionaire makes new changes to the structure of one of the world's most powerful communication platforms.

Treasury staff at the United States

Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) have yet to determine whether Musk's purchase of the social media platform Twitter could lead to a national security review, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Musk is an American citizen

• and CFIUS audits are usually used to investigate foreign nationals' investments.

• It is therefore not clear whether they can initiate such a review

• and policy experts are divided on whether this is warranted.

Treasury staff routinely examine whether procurement merits further in-depth investigations, often without moving to comprehensive audits.

The 2018 legislative update to the CFIUS Rules says

the Authority can investigate not only foreign ownership, but minority stakes in vital areas, including sensitive personal data held by companies.

A Treasury spokesman said:

"CFIUS is committed to taking all necessary action within its authority to protect the national security of the United States. in conformity with law and practice.

CFIUS does not comment publicly on transactions it may or may not review. "

It could be risky for President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden's aides have tried to counter Chinese influence, but they do not want to be accused of recruiting the national security operation to attack Musk, who says he voted for Biden in 2020, but has recently become his political enemy.

Musk enjoys

• extensive relations with China through Tesla

• an electric car company.

• The company's "Gigafactory" in Shanghai is

• the busiest production plant and operates as a vital export hub.

Tesla also relies on China for production needs

as the Chinese State controls the global supply of lithium, the main component of electric vehicle batteries, through its extensive processing and refining devices.

Binance also holds a stake in the new "Twitter"

through a $500 million investment in capital. As it moved from its native China, the company partnered with a Chinese government-owned company in the "blockchain" initiative.

A spokesman for

Binance previously told The Post that the efforts did not exist, did not exist in China and did not take any investment from an entity controlled by the Chinese Government.

There is also another global force, Saudi Arabia, which is among the largest private investors in the new "Twitter", after Musk.