Elon Musk Giving "Serious Thought" to Creating Social Media Platform With Free Speech as Top Priority
Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk says that he is “giving serious thought to” creating a new social media platform with free speech as a top priority. “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” the Tesla billionaire said. Elon Musk Considers Building New Social Media Platform, Says Free Speech Is Essential to Democracy
The CEO of Tesla and Spacex, Elon Musk, has been discussing the need for a new social media platform on Twitter over the past couple of days. He has recently become more critical of Twitter and its policies, claiming that the social media platform is undermining democracy by failing to adhere to free speech principles.
Replying to a question about whether he would consider building a new social media platform with an open source algorithm, where free speech is given top priority and propaganda is minimized, Musk replied: “Am giving serious thought to this.”
The discussion began when Musk put up a Twitter poll Friday asking his 79.2 million followers to vote whether they believe Twitter adheres to the principle of free speech, which “is essential to a functioning democracy,” he wrote.
The Tesla boss emphasized: “The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.” After 24 hours, the poll ended with more than 2 million votes; 70.4% said no.
Musk opined: Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?
In a follow-up tweet, the Spacex CEO asked: “Is a new platform needed?”
A few platforms already advertise themselves as free speech alternatives, but none have come close to the size of Twitter. Parler, for example, has gained some traction as a Twitter alternative but it is a similarly centralized service.
Some platforms are built with decentralized, open source protocols, such as Gab and Truth Social, a platform recently launched by former U.S. President Donald Trump after Twitter banned him. Truth Social did not take off and even Trump barely uses it. Several different protocols can be used to build decentralized Twitter alternatives, including Mastodon, Diaspora, Misskey, Friendica, Pleroma, and Twister. Tags in this story Elon Musk, elon musk free speech, elon musk social media, Elon Musk social media platform, Elon Musk Tweets, elon musk twitter, Free Speech, open source social media, social media platform, Tesla CEO, Twitter, twitter free speech
Do you think Elon Musk should build a new social media platform with free speech as a top priority? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms
A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Second Largest Israeli Bank Leumi Launching Cryptocurrency Trading FEATURED | 1 day ago Ukraine"s Government Launches "Museum of War" NFT Collection FEATURED | 1 day ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleGlobal Crypto Economy Holds Above the $2 Trillion Zone for 5 Consecutive Days Next articleUS Senators Working on Broad-Based Crypto Regulation Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItBinance Explores Acquisition of Brazilian Securities Brokerage Firm
Leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance is showing its intention of expanding its activities to Brazil. The company announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with a regulated securities brokerage firm in Brazil, with the intention of acquiring it. The ... read more.Binance Now Fully Licensed by Central Bank of Bahrain to Offer Crypto Services Aptos, Led by Meta"s Ex-Employees, Gets $200 Million to Build a Scalable Blockchain System Instagram Is Working on Bringing NFTs to the Platform in the "Near Term," Says Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Crypto Assets Can Help Russia Return to Global Financial Market, Lawmaker Says