1. ABOUT LAST NIGHT
I participated in a Twitter space hosted by @[email protected] w/a lot of journalists
When I joined @[email protected], one of Musk's apparatchiks, was badgering @[email protected], a suspended reporter, and Jack Sweeney, the guy behind the accounts that tracked jets
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@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] 2. Jason was making the point that everyone was upset about the suspension, but we need to focus on the real point: IF YOU POSTED SOMEONE'S REAL TIME LOCATION AND SOMEONE DIED WOULD YOU FEEL BAD?
Drew made the point that this was a dumb question
3. Jason kept on asking it over and over again.
I think he thought this was a great way of redirecting the conversation and making Musk seem reasonable.
IS THIS THE KIND OF SOCIETY WE WANT TO LIVE IN? WHERE PEOPLE ARE PUT IN DANGER FROM BEING UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE?
4. I finally had enough. @[email protected] invited me to be a speaker so I interrupted
My point was: THE ENTIRE PREMISE OF THE QUESTION WAS A LIE.
The suspended journalists had not reported on Musk's real-time location!
They covered the fact that he suspended Sweeny's accounts
6. My other point was we can say we are concerned about the impact of social media use on people's safety BUT THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE LIMITED TO PRIVATE JETS.
MUSK HIMSELF WAS PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK BY MAKING WILD ACCUSATIONS, INCLUDING THAT THEY WERE PEDOPHILES
8. Once I realized this, I shut up so Katie and Drew could ask him questions. Musk basically ignored the questions and kept repeating, "no doxxing" and "no special rules for journalists"
When Drew pressed him, he quickly bolted.
He does not like to be challenged or questioned.
9. Shortly after Musk left, THE SPACE WAS SHUT DOWN.
In fact, ALL SPACES WERE SHUT DOWN.
They weren't fully restored until tonight.
10. What was missing from @[email protected]'s defense of Musk, and Musk's own position is CONTEXT.
Musk says he's for free speech but when people are saying things he doesn't like, he tries to shut them up.
We saw this a few weeks ago with the Musk parody accounts
11. Comedy was legal on Twitter until people started making fun of him. Then @[email protected] another Musk buddy redefined parody as "fraud" and insisted Musk was doing us all a favor.
BUT IT GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN THIS.
13. In China, Tesla reportedly sought to leverage the power of China's authoritarian regime to silence critics.
Tesla reportedly "asked Beijing to use its censorship powers to block" critical posts
Judd Legum
Mplspat