OPINION: Elon Musk should not become the owner of Twitter
Elon Musk recently became the largest shareholder of Twitter — briefly, at least — and since he lost that title, he has made an offer to buy the entire Twitter platform for 49 billion dollars.
Even though Musk has stayed out of the political limelight and has supported both parties at different times, his recent tweets amplified his misguided right-wing views about free speech and censorship, threatening a slippery slope.
Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy.
What should be done? https://t.co/aPS9ycji37
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 26, 2022
Musk, Republicans, and right-wing talking heads have been making a case that suspending conservative accounts that violate Terms of Service is a form of censorship.
That is far from the truth.
Every private company with a social media platform has the right to its Terms of Service which are clear about the content allowed on its site. The First Amendment protects each company’s enforcement of its TOS from government repercussions. When you log onto the platform, you sign a contract to adhere to these Terms of Service. Many people have said to Musk that Twitter only suspends Conservatives for free speech. Being on both sides of the political spectrum, I have seen people from both sides suspended for violating Twitter’s Term of Service. Elon Musk and Republicans want to make a pathway for anything on Twitter without repercussions.
I fear that if Elon Musk were to take over Twitter it could provide an open door for hate, racism, bigotry, and antisemitism of epic proportions. Misinformation would be everywhere, whether political, Covid-related, or just flat-out target-harassing smear campaigns. No enforcement of Terms of Service could have a disastrous effect on people’s well-being and even the country’s. There would be no stopping it because, according to them, it’s considered “free speech.” This will divide our country even more. There is also a possibility of the reinstatement of Donald Trump’s Twitter account. We all know how dangerous that could be, especially the fact that his words of incitement have inspired violence, most notably the January 6th insurrection.
For the sake of the country, the CEOs of Twitter must deny Elon Musk’s Twitter proposal.
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