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Elon Musk, Twitter, and Free Speech
After the sale, will Twitter and society be better or worse?
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy,” declared Twitter’s new owner. “And Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”
These are the words of Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, who now adds Twitter to his portfolio of enterprises that includes SpaceX and Tesla.
Today’s town square is indeed digital. Musk is absolutely correct on that point, and Twitter represents a major slice of real estate in that digital square.
And that’s why this purchase is Big News!
The saga began early this month when Musk acquired a 9 percent stake in the social media giant and was offered a seat on the board. Days later, Musk decided to purchase the entire company. There was pushback, but Musk prevailed. And today, the news is official.
Is this purchase good for Twitter? And most importantly, is it good for society?
Musk has been outspoken in his support of free speech, but not everyone welcomes his libertarian approach. Many have decried the purchase, arguing that censorship is necessary to safeguard society.
