Public Comment

Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, finally closed his purchase of Twitter for about $44 billion.

Musk has described himself as a "free speech absolutist" and has criticized what he sees as excessive moderation on online platforms. Human rights groups are concerned that less moderation on the platform could lead to a rise in disinformation and hate speech. The fear is that Musk will restore rights to use Twitter for those now banned from Twitter like Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Sydney Powell, David Duke, Milo Yiannopoulos, George Zimmerman and Ye also known as Kanye West. (Although Kanye West appears to be back up on the platform, a day after Musk took ownership of Twitter.) 

He has been described as 

"(T)he face of 21st-century tech-based, extreme capitalism, just as the robber barons, . . exploited the opportunities emerging in a rapidly disintegrating regulatory state apparatus and acquired a small army of investors and a fleet of lobbyists, lawyers and fanboys (known as Musketeers). He has sought to position himself as a tech genius who can break the rules, exploit and excise those who work for him, ridicule those who stand in his way and do as he wishes with his wealth because it benefits humanity. He’ll rescue the planet with his electric cars and save Ukraine with his satellite systems — but he must be freed of government interference to do these good deeds." 

Musk claims he didn’t purchase Twitter for the money but rather so people would have a "maximally trusted and inclusive” means of exchanging ideas he has called a “digital town square.” However, anonymous trolls have already posted racist slurs and Nazi memes onto Twitter just hours after Musk took over Twitter.  

Will Musk's pledge of unrestricted free speech encourage more online hate? I am not encouraged.