Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is ‘seriously’ thinking about setting up his own social media platform. He thinks it is time for an alternative to Twitter because, according to him, the messaging service “does not adhere to the principles of freedom of expression”.
Musk wrote this on Twitter this weekend.
Elon Musk says Twitter can be seen as a kind of town square. He says that by not adhering to the principles of freedom of expression, Twitter undermines democracy. He argues that freedom of expression is essential for a well-functioning democracy.
The Tesla CEO had posted a poll on Twitter, in which his followers could vote on whether or not Twitter adheres to the principles of free speech. Two million votes were cast, and more than seventy percent answered ‘no’.
Musk is also in conflict with the US stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with Twitter. As a result, the SEC has ordered that lawyers vet all tweets Musk sends about Tesla in advance.
The CEO has caused large fluctuations in the company’s stock price with his Tesla tweets in the past. Musk believes the SEC is restricting his freedom of speech.