Free Speech - Is Elon Musk a Hypocrite?
The self-styled defender of free expression, Elon Musk, discovered his limitations when he barred a journalist from using his social media account. Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein recently released a paper on X that had private information regarding JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate. The files included damning information regarding Vance and were purportedly hacked by Iranian operatives.
However, since Kleppenstein was removed from the platform for breaking its rules about hacked items, the owner of X didn't find any similarity to it. Notably, this regulation existed before Musk purchased twitter and made revisions to the policy declaring it will no longer remove stolen information unless it is explicitly provided by the hackers. X has blocked the journalist's account in spite of this modification, saying that the papers reveal Vance's address and social security number, among other private information. However, Musk's detractors continued to attack him for his hypocrisy despite it.
Elon Musk is a devoted friend and supporter of Donald Trump, who according to the Republican nominee may even obtain a position in the government. Consequently, it casts more doubt on X's decision to ban the journalist, which many have characterized as politically motivated. Prior to purchasing X, Musk took issue with the website's prohibition on disseminating details on Hunter Biden following his laptop hacking a few weeks prior to the 2020 election. He was promptly reminded of this by his detractors, who also criticized him for having switched sides.