Tech superstar Elon Musk reverses course: Free speech is more critical than ad revenues. Backing off some wild comments slamming advertisers, he asserts the importance of a globally unfettered platform for sharing disparate viewpoints. Money can wait, but muzzling speech? No way, says Musk.
Last fall, Musk, the new boss at X (once Twitter) told any advertiser with disdain for free speech to go pound sand. That’s how The Hill broke the news. This past Wednesday brought a gentler tone. Chatting with Mark Read, the big cheese of WPP, at the glitzy Cannes Lions advertising gala, Musk clarified his position.
“It wasn’t a broadside against all advertisers,” Musk stated, “It’s about free speech. Ample space for everyone to speak their mind is vital.” Musk brought up that big names like Apple, IBM, Disney, Warner Bros., and Paramount have called for censorship. His immediate answer was a resounding no.
The dilemma of “censorship but with money” vs. “free speech and losing money,” that’s not even a question for Musk. It’s free speech every single time. Last year, after these behemoths ceased advertising on X, Musk had choice words for these censorship fanatics.
Musk firmly stated that they’d always back free speech over permitting themselves to be gagged for a quick buck. That, he believes, is morally just. He did concede that advertisers deserve the right to appear alongside content that aligns with their brand message.
But a massive Musk reframing came with this stern warning, “It’s pretty low to insist on the platform being free from content that doesn’t fly with them.”
Musk’s analogy of X as an online public gathering place returned. He argued that X essentially had to be a free speech platform to be the go-to spot for worldwide discussion. But there’s a restriction, “Free speech is fine so long as it stays within the law.”
However, X continues to grapple with free speech battles. Disturbingly, X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino has publicly gloated about imposing censorship to gratify advertisers. Further, both Yaccarino and Musk have advocated for “freedom of speech, not reach,” pushing down content deemed unacceptable.
But let’s be honest, conservatives are bearing the brunt here. You have a voice. Use it. Call your representatives. Insist that Big Tech be made to mirror the First Amendment and provide a clear definition of alleged “hate speech” while allotting fair space for conservatives. Don’t be silenced. If you’ve faced censorship, put us in the know. We aim to put Big Tech in its place.
Elon Musk, an industry trailblazer, understands the importance of free speech. He’s taking it head on—and that’s worth our collective applause. Tech giants beware: the fight for free speech isn’t over. It’s just begun.
