In an op-ed for The Guardian, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich said Elon Musk is “out of control” and regulators should threaten him with “arrest” if he doesn’t “stop disseminating lies and hate on X.”
“He may be the richest man in the world. He may own one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to stop him,” Reich wrote.
The Democrats aren’t hiding anymore. They’re openly calling for the arrest of anyone who opposes their tyranny. This weekend Clinton’s former Labor Secretary Robert Reich publicly called for the arrest of @elonmusk. It is time to start pushing back. pic.twitter.com/pT9WzQuPxw
— @amuse (@amuse) September 1, 2024
Let me translate for you what @RBReich has said: “I loved it when I was part of a party that controlled EVERYTHING. This annoying wealthy guy @elonmusk who does not support my political vision is exercising his freedoms. This cannot be tolerated, as such Musk must be destroyed… https://t.co/tqN5sTyuWc
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) September 1, 2024
Reich wrote in The Guardian:
Here are six ways to rein in Musk:
1. Boycott Tesla.
Consumers shouldn’t be making him even richer and able to do even more harm. A Tesla boycott may have already begun. A recent poll said one-third of Britons are less likely to buy a Tesla because of Musk’s recent behavior.
ADVERTISEMENT2. Advertisers should boycott X.
A coalition of major advertisers has organized such a boycott. Musk is suing them under antitrust law. “We tried peace for 2 years, now it is war,” he wrote on X, referring to advertisers who criticize him and X.
3. Regulators around the world should threaten Musk with arrest if he doesn’t stop disseminating lies and hate on X.
Global regulators may be on the way to doing this, as evidenced by the 24 August arrest in France of Pavel Durov, who founded the online communications tool Telegram, which French authorities have found complicit in hate crimes and disinformation. Like Musk, Durov has styled himself as a free speech absolutist.
4. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission should demand that Musk take down lies that are likely to endanger individuals – and if he does not, sue him under Section Five of the FTC Act.
Musk’s free-speech rights under the first amendment don’t take precedence over the public interest. Two months ago, the US supreme court said federal agencies may pressure social media platforms to take down misinformation – a technical win for the public good (technical because the court based its ruling on the plaintiff’s lack of standing to sue).
5. The US government – and we taxpayers – have additional power over Musk, if we’re willing to use it. The US should terminate its contracts with him, starting with Musk’s SpaceX.
“Make sure Musk’s favorite candidate for president is not elected,” Reich added.
This is Robert Reich. The dude who’s calling for Elon to be arrested over free speech. pic.twitter.com/YjQQthRbad
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 1, 2024
Bill Clinton’s former Secretary of Labour Robert Reich is calling for the arrest of Elon Musk for “lies and hate on X.”
Democrats hate free speech! pic.twitter.com/rfHv68Fxhw
— I Meme Therefore I Am
(@ImMeme0) September 1, 2024
Fox News reports:
Reich argued that global regulators might already be considering threatening Musk with an arrest, citing France’s arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.
Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris last week as part of a sweeping investigation opened earlier this year. French prosecutors alleged that he allowed criminal activity on the messaging app, and judges ordered him to pay 5 million euros bail. Allegations against Durov include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
“Probably wise to for me to limit movements to countries where free speech is constitutionally protected,” Elon Musk said.
Probably wise to for me to limit movements to countries where free speech is constitutionally protected
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024
From the New York Post:
Durov’s arrest has kicked off a global debate on online free speech, with Musk asserting at one point that his detention in Paris was a sign of “dangerous times.”
Some have raised the question of whether other notable social media executives, such as Musk or Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, could similarly face personal liability for content published on their apps.
ADVERTISEMENTBrazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to be shut down in the country on Friday amid an ongoing war of words with Musk. Moraes also imposed fines on anyone who tried to access the site through VPNs or other means following the bans.
Brazil also has blocked bank accounts used by Musk-led satellite internet firm Starlink.
On Thursday night, X said it expected Brazilian authorities to force a shutdown of the platform “soon” following a war of words between Musk and Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.
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