Elon Musk on Friday argued that Twitter “undermines democracy” with its restrictions on users’ posts and suggested that a “new platform” might be needed.
The Tesla founder joined the debate on censorship on major social media platforms, first posting a Twitter poll centered on the question: “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?”
Roughly 70% of Musk’s 79.2 million followers soon weighed in with a resounding “No.”
Following the results, Musk wrote, “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 second tweet, he added, “Is a new platform needed?”
While some of the SpaceX founder’s followers called on him to buy Twitter, others joked that he should do so only with the intention of then deleting the platform altogether.
Censorship on Twitter has long been a hot topic of debate, particularly in conservative circles that accuse the platform of a liberal bias in cracking down on users for terms of service violations. The issue of censorship came to a head following the Capitol insurrection, which saw the platform permanently ban former president Donald Trump, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.”
