The room was locked when prosecutors from Special Counsel Jack Smith¡¯s office and lawyers from the company then known as Twitter appeared Feb. 9 before a federal judge in Washington.

The secrecy was needed to prevent word from reaching the subject of the court fight: former U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell was concerned that the parties were already back two days after they¡¯d argued before her. On Feb. 7, she¡¯d rejected Twitter¡¯s request for a delay in giving records to the government. The social media company had asked for more time to fight an order stopping them from alerting Trump about the warrant for his ¡°@realDonaldTrump¡± account.