Elon Musk has been known for his outspoken views on social media, particularly Twitter. However, it appears that his commitment to free speech may be waning after he recently suspended the accounts of several journalists who had written extensively about his company.
The journalists, who come from outlets like CNN and the New York Times, have denied Elon Musk’s claim that they revealed his real-time location. However, the billionaire entrepreneur has stood by his decision to suspend their accounts, claiming that they had been “harassing” him and his employees.
This move has been widely criticised by free speech advocates, who argue that it sets a dangerous precedent for other companies and individuals to silence their critics. It also raises questions about Musk’s own commitment to open dialogue, particularly given his previous statements in support of free speech.
The European Union and the United Nations have now issued a warning to Mr Musk, cautioning him against “arbitrarily” suspending journalists on Twitter, and threatening that it may face unspecified sanctions.
On Wednesday, the start of Mr Musk’s latest Twitter drama unfolded when an account called @ElonJet was suspended, shortly after he bought the platform for $66 billion ($US44bn) in October.
Jack Sweeney, a Florida teen, created an account which utilized publicly available information to tweet whenever Mr Musk’s private jet was in the air; however, there was no information available as to whether or not Mr Musk was actually on board any of the flights.
The accounts of other individuals who tracked private jets owned by influential people were also suspended, just like Mr Sweeney’s.
