Elon Musk’s interpretation of ‘free speech’ is once more being questioned, with Twitter limiting customers’ capability to share hyperlinks to Substack newsletters, whereas additionally stopping Substack customers from embedding tweets of their content material.
Over the past two days, Twitter and Substack customers have been seeing warnings pop-up, in each apps, when making an attempt to hyperlink to the opposite.
On Substack, when authors have tried to embed a tweet, they’ve been seeing this error message:
Whereas on Twitter, sharing Substack hyperlinks has been restricted, whereas making an attempt to have interaction with posts that discuss with Substack content material has additionally been halted.
Why? Nicely, it’s doubtless due to this:
Earlier this week, Substack previewed a brand new, Twitter-like ‘Notes’ component, which can seemingly replicate Twitter performance throughout the platform itself. Elon doesn’t like copycats, as he’s beforehand made clear, and evidently Twitter is now taking motion to punish Substack for its perceived insolence.
There’s been no official rationalization from Twitter on this, however the Substack crew has put out a press release, criticizing Twitter for limiting its entry.
“We’re dissatisfied that Twitter has chosen to limit writers’ capacity to share their work. Writers deserve the liberty to share hyperlinks to Substack or wherever else. This abrupt change is a reminder of why writers deserve a mannequin that places them in cost, that rewards nice work with cash, and that protects the free press and free speech.”
Which is fascinating, given Musk’s very vocal assist without spending a dime speech rules, calling himself a ‘free speech absolutist’, and presenting this as a key motive for his $44 billion buy of Twitter. However as famous, historical past means that Musk’s view on free speech doubtless differs from what you’d suppose.
Musk’s observe file on this really goes again past his buy of Twitter. In late 2021, for instance, Musk tried to cease a Twitter person from sharing particulars of his travels on his non-public jet, a case which later turned a fair greater level of competition as soon as he bought the app.
The ‘ElonJet’ account, which displayed the place and when Elon’s jet was touring, utilizing publicly out there flight data, was initially showcased by Musk for instance of his dedication to free speech, by permitting it to proceed, regardless of it revealing details about his actions. However then, final 12 months, Elon banned the account anyway, as he implemented new rules at the app which outlawed all types of reside location monitoring of people by way of tweet.
So free speech is okay, besides when it might, probably, be dangerous to Elon, and even inconvenient – but that very same logic just isn’t relevant to others, like when Elon baselessly accused a cave diver of being a pedophile in 2018, which has since led to ongoing hurt for that particular person.
Musk’s firms even have a historical past of looking for to stifle competitors, and even important evaluations, the place attainable.
Final 12 months, Musk’s EV firm Tesla launched authorized motion in opposition to a automotive reviewer who criticized the Tesla Mannequin 3’s auto-braking system. The reviewer, who had a distinguished TikTok channel, claimed that Musk’s firm launched his private data, and paid for social media campaigns to enlarge the lawsuit in opposition to him, in an effort to discredit and make an instance of him.
So once more, free speech is okay, besides when it’s probably dangerous to Musk or his enterprise pursuits. Which, you’ll assume, would additionally imply that Elon would have some fairly good perspective on the potential hurt that may be brought on by completely free and open speech, with no restrictions, on condition that he’s been making an attempt to restrict such round his personal private model for years.
However alas, no, that’s not how Musk sees it. As a result of his perspective on the world is completely different to yours, as a result of he’s one of many richest folks on the planet, and his experiences aren’t the identical.
Even in his time as Twitter chief, Musk’s actions haven’t mirrored free speech ‘absolutism’, even, as Musk says, throughout the limits of the legislation.
In December final 12 months, Elon banned all hyperlinks to different social platforms by way of tweet, as means to stifle competitors (which was later reversed), whereas Musk has additionally lower off all third-party builders that created Twitter-like experiences of their apps. Elon has additionally suspended journalists for saying issues he didn’t like, whereas he’s additionally complied with requests from the Indian Authorities to take down unfavorable content material, one thing that earlier Twitter administration had made a stand in opposition to.
This isn’t ‘free speech’, as Musk has repeatedly acknowledged. Actually, in some circumstances, it’s virtually the precise reverse, with Musk looking for to make use of Twitter as a method to reduce unfavorable stories about him and his enterprise – or actually, something that he simply doesn’t like, as a result of he can.
Which often is the broader focus for Musk in buying the platform, the capability to make use of Twitter as a method of narrative management, so as to dilute or management reportage by manipulating the media cycle.
As many have famous, Twitter has an outsized affect on this respect as a result of it’s relied upon by so many journalists. The velocity of supply makes Twitter the proper platform for staying up on the newest information, and what’s tweeted now usually turns into the main information of the day, as reporters work to get the newest scoop, as quick as attainable.
Former President Donald Trump weaponized this component, utilizing tweets to share his messaging, shortly and simply, which frequently noticed his tweeted feedback turning into the primary media focus at any given time. That additionally enabled Trump to shift that focus every time he wanted, by tweeting out controversial takes to assemble up consideration at opportune instances.
Musk might be doing the identical. For instance, earlier this week, Twitter modified its conventional chicken emblem to a Doge icon, which can also be the image for Dogecoin, which comes as Musk is being sued for $258 million over promotion of Dogecoin to artificially inflate the cryptocurrency’s worth.
The change meant that in the event you went looking for tales about ‘Elon Musk’ and ‘Dogecoin’, the majority of protection was about Twitter altering its emblem, not concerning the extra unfavorable Musk racketeering lawsuit.
Possibly, that might be a method of narrative management, or manipulation of media traits – and once more, on condition that so many journalists depend on Twitter to remain knowledgeable, Musk might have an outsized affect on this respect.
Which additionally raises questions on what ‘free speech’ really means when Musk says it, and whether or not your interpretation of such is similar in context.
Even at this time, with Twitter updating its rules around Abuse and Harassment, Musk has said that customers need to go ‘over-the-top by repeatedly harassing the identical account with no provocation to get their put up bounced’. Will that apply to Elon himself? For those who had been to repeatedly harass Elon instantly, would he be as open to permitting you to remain within the app?
The nuances listed here are vital, and if you view Elon’s phrases, compared to his actions, there’s a mismatch in method, which is critical.
It’s possible you’ll assist Elon’s stances, however how they’re utilized is equally price noting.
