Elon Musk took to Twitter yesterday and asked an interesting question – is a new social media platform needed?
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has been outspoken over social media companies limiting free speech.
Musk posted a poll on Twitter asking if Twitter rigorously adheres to the principle of “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.”
The poll resulted in over 70 per cent of respondents voting no.
Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.
Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022
A day later, Elon took to Twitter to ask what should be done. Twitter serves as the global public town square, and if the platform does not uphold free speech, what should be done?
In response, he pondered if a new platform was needed then.
Is a new platform needed?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 26, 2022
We have seen a few people attempt to start a new social media platform in response to social media companies’ crackdowns on hate speech and other forms of dangerous speech.
For instance, former US President Donald Trump infamously started Truth Social. However, the platform has been plagued with bugs and security issues.
The question of free speech on these platforms remains a tricky subject to navigate. However, if anyone can create a truly free global public square on the internet, it is Elon Musk. The question is, is it a good idea?
