Elon Musk"s vision for the internet is dangerous nonsense

[Happy As Larry]

A Robert Reich article from the Guardian.

{Interesting discussion btl on freedom of speech and exactly how far it should go}

Musk now faces no limit on how much of Twitter’s stock he can buy. He’ll buy as much as he needs to gain total control.
The Russian people know little about Putin’s war on Ukraine because Putin has blocked their access to the truth, substituting propaganda and lies.
Years ago, pundits assumed the internet would open a new era of democracy, giving everyone access to the truth. But dictators like Putin and demagogues like Trump have demonstrated how naive that assumption was.
At least the US responded to Trump’s lies. Trump had 88 million Twitter followers before Twitter took him off its platform – just two days after the attack on the Capitol, which he provoked, in part, with his tweets. (Trump’s social media accounts were also suspended on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and TikTok.)
These moves were necessary to protect American democracy. But Elon Musk – the richest man in the world, with 80 million Twitter followers – wasn’t pleased. Musk tweeted that US tech companies shouldn’t be acting “as the de facto arbiter of free speech”.
Musk continues to tell his 80 million followers all sorts of things. I disagree with many of his positions, but ever since I posted a tweet two years ago criticizing him for how he treated his Tesla workers he has blocked me – so I can’t view or post criticisms of his tweets to his followers.
Seems like an odd move for someone who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist”. Musk advocates free speech but in reality it’s just about power.
Power compelled Musk to buy $2.64bn of Twitter stock, making him the largest individual shareholder. Last week, Twitter announced that Musk would be joining Twitter’s board of directors, prompting Musk to promise “significant improvements” in the platform.
Sunday evening, though, it was announced that Musk would not be joining Twitter’s board. No reason was given but it’s probably part of a bargaining kabuki dance.
Musk wouldn’t have plopped down $2.64bn for nothing. If he is not on Twitter’s board, he’s not bound by a “standstill” agreement in which he pledged to buy no more than 14.9% of Twitter’s stock. Musk now faces no limit on how much of Twitter’s stock he can buy. He’ll buy as much as he needs to gain total control.
What “improvements” does Musk have in mind for Twitter? Will he use his clout over Twitter to prevent users with tens of millions of followers from blocking people who criticize them? I doubt it.
Will Musk use his clout to let Trump back on? I fear he will.
Musk has long advocated a libertarian vision of an “uncontrolled” internet. That vision is dangerous rubbish. There’s no such animal, and there never will be.
Someone has to decide on the algorithms in every platform – how they’re designed, how they evolve, what they reveal and what they hide. Musk has enough power and money to quietly give himself this sort of control over Twitter.
Musk talks about freedom of speech but his real power is freedom of reach – reaching 80 million Twitter followers without accountability to anyone (including critics like me) – and enough money to buy himself a seat on Twitter’s board.
Musk has never believed that power comes with responsibility. He’s been unperturbed when his tweets cause real suffering. During his long and storied history with Twitter he has threatened journalists and tweeted reckless things.
In March 2020 he tweeted that children were “essentially immune” to Covid. He has pushed cryptocurrencies that he’s invested in. When a college student started a Twitter account to track Musk’s private plane, Musk tried and failed to buy him off, before blocking him.
The Securities and Exchange Commission went after Musk after he tweeted that he had funding to take Tesla private, a clear violation of the law. Musk paid a fine and agreed to let lawyers vet future sensitive tweets, but he has tried to reverse this requirement.
He has also been openly contemptuous of the SEC, tweeting at one point that the “E” stands for “Elon’s”. (You can guess what the “S” and “C” stand for.) By the way, how does the SEC go after Musk’s ability to tweet now that he owns Twitter?
Billionaires like Musk have shown time and again they consider themselves above the law. And to a large extent, they are.
Musk has enough wealth that legal penalties are no more than slaps on his wrist, and enough power to control one of the most important ways the public now receives news. Think about it: after years of posting tweets that skirt the law, Musk was given a seat on Twitter’s board (and is probably now negotiating for even more clout).
Musk says he wants to “free” the internet. But what he really aims to do is make it even less accountable than it is now, when it’s often impossible to discover who is making the decisions about how algorithms are designed, who is filling social media with lies, who’s poisoning our minds with pseudo-science and propaganda, and who’s deciding which versions of events go viral and which stay under wraps.
Make no mistake: this is not about freedom. It’s about power.
In Musk’s vision of Twitter and the internet, he’d be the wizard behind the curtain – projecting on the world’s screen a fake image of a brave new world empowering everyone.
In reality, that world would be dominated by the richest and most powerful people in the world, who wouldn’t be accountable to anyone for facts, truth, science or the common good.
That’s Musk’s dream. And Trump’s. And Putin’s. And the dream of every dictator, strongman, demagogue and modern-day robber baron on Earth. For the rest of us, it would be a brave new nightmare.

Elon Musk’s vision for the internet is dangerous nonsense | Robert Reich | The Guardian

[Buckaroo Banzai]

I have never even seen twitter, lived for 64 year without it successfully, I think I can live another 20 without it , the I will join and post Aghhhh.... as I kick the bucket.

[bsnub]

The article is spot on. I knew Elon was up to something sinister when he bought all that Twitter stock, and that insight by Robert Reich really clarifies it. He must be stopped.

[harrybarracuda]

He's broken US Securities law, and he's also being sued for it.

Elon Musk is sued by shareholders over delay in disclosing Twitter stake | Reuters

[bsnub]

He's broken US Securities law, and he's also being sued for it.

It is not the first time, and he has plenty of money to cover any settlement.

[Stumpy]

I have never even seen twitter, lived for 64 year without it successfully, I think I can live another 20 without it , the I will join and post Aghhhh.... as I kick the bucket.

I am with ya BB. I find Twitter, Facebook, Reddit etc a mind numbing waste of time. They are platforms where people can spew nonsense all the time but sadly the amount of sheeple out there believing what is posted without doing research to verify content is staggering.

I have gotten on just fine without those sites and am probably better for it.

That said, the assessment of Elon is fair. He is a bored billionaire with a huge EGO. These guys get weird. I still to this day do not understand why Tesla stock continues to increase. Their car product line is boring. There are much nicer options out now for electric cars with companies that appreciate style.

[bsnub]

There are much nicer options out now for electric cars with companies that appreciate style.

None that have the range or speed of a Tesla. Things are about to change, though. Take a look at Lucid. They will take all the high-end customers away from Tesla.

[Stumpy]

None that have the range or speed of a Tesla. Things are about to change, though. Take a look at Lucid. They will take all the high-end customers away from Tesla.

Agreed Snubs but many are close enough to easily take business. I really expect Tesla to struggle in the next year or so. Their car style is extremely dated, the truck concept is fugly. Ford and GM have far better looking electric trucks. Tesla stock is way over valued IMHO.

[bsnub]

Tesla stock is way over valued IMHO.

I sold all mine last year. Made out like a bandit.

Cue the posters that say I live in my mom's basement.

[baldrick]

I find Twitter, Facebook

yes

Reddit

no - I think reddit can be a good source of information

[sabang]

I agree with Robert Reich on most things- but not this one. His censorship vision for the internet is a lot more dangerous than Elon Musks libertarian vision. We should not be restricted on what information we are allowed to see, in a Free society, by approved Gatekeepers. Then, we are no longer a Free society- it's that simple.

Since when did information become considered so dangerous? Since when did people become considered so stupid that they are not allowed freedom of information, or thought? That seems more like Orwell than liberal democracy. But that is the way it is going, sigh.

[DrWilly]

I agree with Robert Reich on most things- but not this one. His censorship vision for the internet is a lot more dangerous than Elon Musks libertarian vision. We should not be restricted on what information we are allowed to see, in a Free society, by approved Gatekeepers. Then, we are no longer a Free society- it's that simple.

Since when did information become considered so dangerous? Since when did people become considered so stupid that they are not allowed freedom of information, or thought? That seems more like Orwell than liberal democracy. But that is the way it is going, sigh.

Dunno, ask your friends Putin and Poohbear

[Shutree]

In reality, that world would be dominated by the richest and most powerful people in the world, who wouldn’t be accountable to anyone for facts, truth, science or the common good.

Plenty of people believe we have already passed that point.

[David48atTD]

Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $41.4bn

The tech billionaire Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter for $41.4bn.


A regulatory filing showed on Thursday that Musk was offering $54.20 a share – a 38% premium to the closing price of Twitter’s stock on 1 April, the last trading day before the Tesla chief executive’s investment of more than 9% in the company was publicly announced.


Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $41.4bn | Elon Musk | The Guardian

[Edmond]

Elon Musk"s vision for the internet is dangerous nonsense

If he makes walls of text without paragraph-breaks illegal, I'm all for it.

[Norton]

He’ll buy as much as he needs to gain total control.

Of course he will but hardly anything new about rich folks buying up news/opinion media entities to promote their pet ideology. The rich have been doing this since the invent of the printing press. The only difference now is distribution of ideologies (news and opinion) via the internet is near instantaineous.

We should not be restricted on what information we are allowed to see, in a Free society, by approved Gatekeepers

Couldn't agree more but if for example a company such as Twitter wants to ban users it is thier perogative to do so.

You can be damn sure Hearst would not allow an editorial in his news paper critical of his campaign to put all Japanese Americans in interment camps during WW2.

I have learned that all news must be viewed with suspicion no matter the source.

[sabang]

The privatisation of Information, and Access? A long time ago, that role was performed by the Church. Them was the Dark ages. Na, I do not believe it should be allowed to happen again- no matter the prevailing religion or cult. Or war.

Opinion should not be banned of course- including 'incorrect opinion'. But Opinion, ultimately, is based on Information. We should not restrict or privatise that.

[pickel]

Opinion should not be banned of course- including 'incorrect opinion'. But Opinion, ultimately, is based on Information. We should not restrict or privatise that.

Do you consider saying the earth is flat to be an "opinion"?

[Norton]

Do you consider saying the earth is flat to be an "opinion"?

Sure is. An opinion easily proven nonsense but if someone wants to express their belief that the earth is flat, let them. Atm 3.4 billion people are of the opinion that celebrating the death of and firmly believing in the divinity of a dude nailed to a cross by Rome will ensure, if they do what he says, they go to paradise after death. Imo all bull shit but not for me to folks who express it.

[DrWilly]

Sure is. An opinion easily proven nonsense but if someone wants to express their belief that the earth is flat, let them. Atm 3.4 billion people are of the opinion that celebrating the death of and firmly believing in the divinity of a dude nailed to a cross by Rome will ensure, if they do what he says, they go to paradise after death. Imo all bull shit but not for me to folks who express it.

Fair enough, but what about when those opinions are less benign?

The classic philosophical example is shouting fire in a cinema, or claiming Nazi Germany did not murder 6,000,000 Jewish, Gypsy and other peoples, or how about inciting a violent insurrection over fake claims of a stolen election?

These 'opinions' all have real world consequences. Should they be allowed to be shared and amplified?

[sabang]

Every bit as much as debunking them should be. The danger posed by restricting/ censoring/ monopolising access to information is a lot more than that posed by the opinions of some weirdos and crackpots.

[pickel]

Every bit as much as debunking them should be.

Or they can be banned by a private social media company who have terms and conditions that users agree to if they want to use the platform, leaving them still with the opportunity to start their own private media company and spew whatever bullshit they want. Which means they haven't really lost their freedom of speech.

[sabang]

As long as it does not become a monopoly, or even a controlled cartel. We should be very cautious about that.

[DrWilly]

As long as it does not become a monopoly, or even a controlled cartel. We should be very cautious about that.

you do roll out some specious & deluded crap...

[pickel]

As long as it does not become a monopoly, or even a controlled cartel. We should be very cautious about that.

You mean like Putins monopoly media empire? Yes, you should be very cautious about that.