August 8th, 2024

Elon Musk Has Turned X into His Personal Political Playground

Elon Musk has transformed X into a platform for his political agenda, endorsing Trump and increasing misinformation, while critics highlight a lack of moderation and oversight, raising free speech concerns.

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Elon Musk Has Turned X into His Personal Political Playground

Elon Musk has transformed X, formerly Twitter, into a platform for his political agenda, particularly as the U.S. elections approach. After endorsing Donald Trump, Musk has shared controversial content, including a deepfake video of Vice President Kamala Harris, which raised concerns about misinformation. Critics, including former Twitter employees, argue that Musk's actions reflect the same political bias he previously condemned in Twitter's leadership. They express alarm over the rise of disinformation and hate speech on the platform, which has seen a shift in user demographics favoring Republicans. Musk's management style has led to the reinstatement of previously banned users, including extremists, and the introduction of a paid blue-check system that incentivizes misinformation. Additionally, Musk's compliance with censorship requests from right-leaning governments has raised questions about his commitment to free speech. Former employees highlight the lack of oversight and moderation on the platform, which has resulted in a loss of trust among users. As Musk continues to engage in political discourse, concerns grow about the implications for future elections, particularly regarding the potential for misinformation and manipulation of narratives.

- Elon Musk has used X to promote his political agenda, particularly in support of Donald Trump.

- The platform has seen an increase in misinformation and hate speech since Musk's takeover.

- Former Twitter employees express concern over the lack of moderation and oversight on the platform.

- Musk's actions have led to a shift in user demographics, favoring Republican users.

- Compliance with censorship from right-leaning governments raises questions about Musk's commitment to free speech.

Link Icon 7 comments
By @nojvek - 2 months
I foresee US losing major ground to BYD because its only profitable EV maker has a distracted CEO actively telling its customers not to associate themselves with Tesla.

And the shareholders approving $50B pay package.

The shorters may actually make a buck this time.

By @taylodl - 2 months
I guess this is what Musk and his cronies mean by "free speech": freedom to lie and spread disinformation.

Meanwhile, how are Tesla's 3rd quarter sales looking? Are they going to continue the decline from the 1st and 2nd quarters? I guess using Twitter for self-aggrandizement is more fun than the hard work required to run an automaker.

By @nataliste - 2 months
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.

https://xkcd.com/1357/

By @mulnz - 2 months
free link please?