Elon Musk has recently been in the spotlight after a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, this week. The two discussed ways to maintain the delicate dance of somehow safeguarding free speech while combating so-called “hate speech” on Musk’s social media platform, X.
The discourse came about following a string of controversies concerning alleged antisemitic content appearing on X. The storm gained momentum when earlier this month, Musk accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit established to counter antisemitism but has been a big instigator of online censorship, of being the main contributor to the decrease in ad revenue by 60% on X.
Musk took over the reins at the platform, previously known as Twitter, last October.
Reiterating his stance during the recent discussion with Netanyahu, Musk emphasized that X would in no way become a hub for promoting “hate speech.”
Although Musk once described himself as a free speech absolutist, he expressed strong convictions that X is a platform dedicated to allowing people to express diverse viewpoints, albeit with some restrictions.
Posts in violation of its policies may face a curb on the distribution, he added, once again using the controversial phrase “freedom of speech, not reach.”
During the exchange with Musk, Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed: “I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to not only stop antisemitism…but any collective hatred of a people.”
He encouraged Musk to find the equilibrium between admissible free expression and combating various forms of discrimination.
