A day after Twitter takeover, Elon Musk has clarified what he meant by “free speech” after several people run a campaign against the Tesla owner, saying they will leave the micro-blogging site. Musk said that by “free speech” he means abiding by the law and he would want even his worst critics to use the micro-blogging platform.
“By ‘free speech’, I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law. If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people,” Musk said in a tweet Tuesday.
By “free speech”, I simply mean that which matches the law.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2022
I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.
Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
Musk claims to be a “free speech absolutist”. Musk who owns around 9.1 per cent stake in Twitter is its largest shareholder. Meanwhile, amid his hostile takeover buzz yesterday, Tesla saw its shares plummeting by 12 per cent.
Following the deal’s confirmation he reiterated his commitment to free speech in a statement, saying, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”
