The current World Economic Forum conference in Davos is already full of hostility towards Elon Musk’s social media network X and its support of free speech as global elites are angered by the lack of censorship.
Influential figures from the educational sector of the conference voiced their displeasure about Musk’s platform, dubbing it problematic and “toxic.”
Luciana Vaccaro, head of swissuniversities, and Naomi Oreskes, a Harvard Professor specializing in the History of Science, both voiced their concerns during a panel discussion at the event. A video capturing their condemnation of X and Musk himself has since been circulating on the platform.
“For a long time I was on Twitter and now it’s become such a toxic place that I’ve concluded it’s not a worthwhile place to spend time,” Oreskes said. “I have given up on X. What a scary name that even is, right?”
“It’s [a] very toxic environment and…I have no solution on that,” Vaccaro responded, adding that she believes there will eventually be a “code of conduct” on X. “I think there will be a societal reflection on how information is brought there. Of course on X now there is also the policy of the owner that is problematic but I think this is a problem of the society of the future.”
Musk, who has battled pushes for censorship from governments, the media, and corporate advertisers, responded to the comments with a simple, mocking laugh emoji, indicative of his general attitude towards such criticism.
