Elon Musk is seemingly fine with freedom of speech, so long as it doesn’t get in the way of his ad revenue and other business ventures.
The Global Alliance of Responsible Media allegedly banded with advertisement firms to boycott Musk-owned Twitter. As a result, Musk’s lawsuit claims he lost ‘billions of dollars in advertising revenue.’ Musk recently added Twitch to his case. Most people on Twitter saw through the irony of Musk’s lawsuit. Of all the things to be concerned about, it’s unsurprisingly ad revenue and corporations conspiring against his beloved Twitter. One wrote, “Hmm, doesn’t that mean he’s attempting to control Twitch’s freedom of speech? Not very Elon of you, Elon.”
There were other Twitter users who immediately sided with Musk. They argued that freedom of speech doesn’t apply to corporations. These people don’t understand that the tweet was an off-handed joke that pokes fun at Musk’s conspiracy allegation. When the suit mentions the loss of ad revenue, it almost seems like Musk is just a normal business owner who is concerned about his declining profits.
A haven for deviants
If the conspiracy is true, Twitch and the others listed in the suit may be violating anti-trust laws. It’s also possible that these companies are merely cautious of Twitter. After all, none of these companies would want their brand to appear beside harmful content. There has been a rise of racist and anti-Semitic ads, and many companies are pulling out. Even the World Bank has ceased advertising on Twitter because of pro-Nazi and white nationalist content on Twitter. The increase of hate posts should be seen as a natural consequence. Musk, on his part, has replatformed white supremacists and misogynists under the guise of free speech. Coupled with poor moderation, it’s no surprise that Twitter has become a safe haven for misinformation and trolls.
Published: Nov 21, 2024 04:59 am