New York Times
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter will reignite big questions about the influence of the billionaire class and the power of technology over our national discourse.
This month, Musk was complaining that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder, had too much power, arguing that the way Meta was structured, “Mark Zuckerberg the 14th” would someday be running it.
Now Musk will own Twitter outright as a private company. He will report to himself. So if he decides to allow Donald Trump back on the platform — which seems like the elephant in the room — it will be Musk’s choice and his choice alone. (Trump has claimed he will not return, because he wants to support his own social media platform.)
Washington is atwitter trying to understand Musk’s ideology. He is a self-styled libertarian without an ideology. But is not having an ideology an ideology unto itself?
Musk has said he wants more “free speech” and less moderation on Twitter. What will that mean in practice? More bullying? More lewd commentary and images? More misinformation?
Perhaps a window into Musk’s approach is a tweet he sent on Friday making fun of Bill Gates with a crude reference to anatomy, as a way to get even with Gates, who had admitted to betting against shares of Tesla.
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter will reignite big questions about the influence of the billionaire class and the power of technology over our national discourse.
This month, Musk was complaining that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder, had too much power, arguing that the way Meta was structured, “Mark Zuckerberg the 14th” would someday be running it.
Now Musk will own Twitter outright as a private company. He will report to himself. So if he decides to allow Donald Trump back on the platform — which seems like the elephant in the room — it will be Musk’s choice and his choice alone. (Trump has claimed he will not return, because he wants to support his own social media platform.)
Washington is atwitter trying to understand Musk’s ideology. He is a self-styled libertarian without an ideology. But is not having an ideology an ideology unto itself?
Musk has said he wants more “free speech” and less moderation on Twitter. What will that mean in practice? More bullying? More lewd commentary and images? More misinformation?
Perhaps a window into Musk’s approach is a tweet he sent on Friday making fun of Bill Gates with a crude reference to anatomy, as a way to get even with Gates, who had admitted to betting against shares of Tesla.
Which raised this question: When conspiracy theorists falsely posted that Gates was paying to develop Covid vaccines to implant chips in people, Twitter down-ranked the content and added fact-check notices. If Musk were running Twitter then, would he have left those posts up to needle his nemesis?
The deal will give Musk enormous influence over politicians, celebrities and the media, with the ability to platform and de-platform them at will.
But some will have sway over him, too, in ways that could distort what the public sees on Twitter. For example, Twitter has no presence in China. Musk does: A huge chunk of Tesla’s growth is dependent on that country. What happens when Chinese officials tell him to remove content from Twitter that they find objectionable?
The deal will give Musk enormous influence over politicians, celebrities and the media, with the ability to platform and de-platform them at will.
But some will have sway over him, too, in ways that could distort what the public sees on Twitter. For example, Twitter has no presence in China. Musk does: A huge chunk of Tesla’s growth is dependent on that country. What happens when Chinese officials tell him to remove content from Twitter that they find objectionable?
Back here in the U.S., Musk’s SpaceX business relies, in large part, on contracts with the Defense Department.
His Tesla business is in discussions with the U.S. government about a national charging station infrastructure.
His Boring Company, which digs tunnels, relies on governments for contracts. If a politician that controls the purse strings for any of Musk’s companies were to publish misinformation, would Musk remove it?
There are no answers to these questions just yet. But we will find out soon. Likely on Twitter.
There are no answers to these questions just yet. But we will find out soon. Likely on Twitter.
10 comments:
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott invites the public to help pay for migrants’ bus rides to Washington, D.C.
The governor’s office has added a new donations page to its website as Abbott defends the use of state funds for buses.
(send in your pesos, vatos. Abbott is begging.)
You said the magic question, "If a POLITICIAN that controls the purse strings for any of Musk's companies were to publish misinformation, would Musk remove it? Well congressman Henry Cuellar made sure in March 2018, Cuellar helped negotiate and promoted a Deal with the government to Exempt four sites that he made sure were voted wall off completely exempt. They were the La Lomita chapel, a state park, the National Butterfly center, The Elon Musks SpaceX test site,( This is part of a Cameron County large land grant belonging to the Juan Cortina land grant), and the deal also included a $1.375 billion for another 55 miles of wall in Starr county. Part of the deal involved an agreement or requirement by Cuellar was that Customs and Border Protection were to consult with only CERTAIN LOCAL OFFICIALS. One must wonder as to why Cuellar included the Elon Musks Space Test Site in Cameron County, That is not his Jurisdiction, it's Filemon Vela. This is the TOTAL corruption run by our so called elected officials, robbing the Legal citizens blind. Elon Musk must think that by purchasing street lights for Brownsville and donating large sum of monies for schools make up for many past injustices committed by these corrupt politicians by allowing Musk to not pay taxes for years is ok. Well it doesn't , Would love to know who these prestige so called "certain local officials" are.
Who gives a fuck of Elon Musk
Interesting that now Twitter content will not be so one sided "progressive/left" that now it is considered a threat to the Democracy. First and foremost, the United States is a Republic, not a Democracy so get over it Pocahontas you may be on your way out as well. It is yet to see where the content benchmark falls, but the days of blocking content because it does not fit the Democratic narrative is over on Twitter.
America will always be the land of the Verbal Chingasos. twitter, like all other social platforms will allow some and not other. Who really gives a fuck? Life has become one bad-stool dump after another. Musk is only taking an economic shit.
Pass him the air freshener, Trey.
@10:00 am ...Get this human VERMIN out of my city. Good job Greg.
If Musk turns Twitter into an uncensored "free speech" nuthouse, another version of Twitter will be created to escape Musk's control of the public square, and Musk will be left with a worthless app he can't dump at a flea market
The left is concerned all of a sudden for content control? Very funny and hypocritical
Is he going to include his wife on the trip to DC?
The left is crying their ass off now. They weren't complaining when Twitter was blocking conservatives. LMAO
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