Elon Musk Should Make X 'Totem Pole' For Free Speech, Not A 'Death Star' For Hate Sessions, Says Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin voiced concerns Tuesday over Elon Musk’s handling of free speech on his social media platform, X, amid what he alleged was a “coordinated hate” against the European Union.
Buterin Accuses Musk Of Tweaking X Algorithms
Buterin highlighted how X, instead of being a “global totem pole” for free speech, has turned into a “death star laser” for “coordinated hate sessions,” straying from the principles Musk often champions.
“I’m seriously worried that huge backlashes against values I hold dear are coming in a few years’ time,” the cryptocurrency mogul said, stating that attacks on Europe are getting “unhinged” on the platform.
Buterin Prefers Niceness Instead Of Ragebait
When questioned whether he wants to censor speech that he “dislikes,” Buterin accused Musk of “actively tweaking” algorithms to boost certain things and deboost others.
“As long as that power lever exists, I’d prefer it be used [without increasing its scope] to boost niceness instead of boosting ragebait,” he said.
The X team didn’t immediately return Benzinga’s request for comment.
See Also: Virginia Startup Seeks To Reclaim ‘Twitter’ Trademarks Abandoned By Musk’s X Corp
Musk’s Conflict With The EU
Buterin’s concerns come in the wake of Musk's call to “abolish” the EU, which came after X was fined $140 million for breaching the bloc’s online content rules. Musk’s call came after reposting a statement about corruption in the EU by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The European Commission accused X of violating transparency rules under the EU's Digital Services Act. Musk warned of a response aimed at the top officials who imposed the penalty.
Critics have accused Musk of exercising political influence through his social media presence. An analysis by NBC News last month found that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO uses X to disseminate content related to immigrants, violent crime and judges he perceives as excessively lenient.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: Shutterstock/Alexey Smyshlyaev