How X owner Elon Musk uses his ‘free speech’ platform to amplify his views worldwide

As the owner of X and its most followed user, Elon Musk has increasingly used the social media platform as a microphone to amplify his political views and, lately, those of right-wing figures with whom he’s aligned. There are few modern parallels to his antics, but then there are few modern parallels to Elon Musk himself.

Of course, none of this will come as a surprise.

When Musk tried to buy Twitter in 2022, he said he did so because it wasn’t living up to its potential as a “free speech platform.” Protecting free speech — not money — was his motivation because, as he put it, “having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important for the future of civilization.”

Musk often muses about the future of civilization. First, he seems fixated on a coming ” population collapsethat threatens to wipe out humanity. And he joined leading scientists and tech leaders last year in warning the world about artificial intelligence do the same. Musk has framed threats to free speech as yet another existential crisis hanging over the world. And he’s going to do his best to save it.

“Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where issues vital to the future of humanity are discussed,” Musk said in an April 2022 post, adding hearts, stars and rocket emojis to emphasize the pronunciation.

Two years later, the platform — now called X — has indeed become a haven for the kind of free speech Musk has come to champion. In the US, he has spread memes — and sometimes misinformation — about illegal immigration, alleged election fraud and transgender policies, and this summer he formally endorsed former President Donald Trump’s presidential bid.

In May 2023, he co-hosted the official announcement of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential candidacy. It turned out a disastrous rollout marred by technical issues, but it underscored Musk’s desire to transform X into a “digital town square.” After the event was marred by technical problems, Musk publicly invited any other presidential candidate who wanted to do one. Trump obliged, agreeing to an interview with the billionaire Tesla CEO on Monday night. The conversation began with technical faults which meant that no one could join in and it started about 42 minutes late.

“I’ve never been more political,” Musk said during his conversation with Trump.

Abroad, where most X users live, he has run-ins with top officials in Australia, Brazilthe European Union and the United Kingdom on the balance between freedom of expression and the spread of harmful disinformation. And he accused a political party in his native South Africa of “openly advocating genocide against white people.”

“Elon Musk is a media maestro with control over one of the world’s biggest microphones. Musk understands the power of social media in shaping political narratives,” said Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg. “The concern is that while X pushes its own political agenda, it could suppress views that conflict with Musk’s, either intentionally or as the platform becomes increasingly partisan. That could turn off users who feel marginalized on the platform, and disillusion some who have previously embraced its free speech mantra.”

Musk’s political shift playing out on X comes as other social media platforms, notably Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, steer clear of politics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has never endorsed a presidential candidate — and in February, the world’s largest social media company announced that would avoid recommending political content for people who don’t follow such accounts yet.

Zuckerberg has also appeared to contrast Musk in other ways of late. While the Facebook founder was testifying before Congress in January about the harm his platform has done to children, he appeared to have embraced a more stylish look, sporting gold chains, longer curls, and a radiant confidence paired with a slightly self-deprecating humor that seems to embrace his eccentricities. On July 4, for example, he posted a video of himself riding an electric surfboard, wearing a tuxedo and holding a can of beer in one hand and an American flag in the other. The online response was far more positive than a 2021 surfing photo of him covered in sunscreen that looked like he was wearing a white mask.

Musk, meanwhile, is moving away from the cool nerd territory to something more Kara Swisherthe elder stateswoman of tech journalism, recently called “the Howard Hughes part” of an inevitable decline. He fights with those who disagree with him — whether they are foreign governments or people infected with what he calls the “woke mind virus.” Last week, the British government calls on Elon Musk to act more responsibly after the tech billionaire used X to post a flood of messages that risked sparking violent unrest in the country.

Attorney General Heidi Alexander made the comments after Musk posted a comment saying that “civil war is inevitable” in the UK. Musk later doubled down on his comments, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists. He also compared the UK’s approach to social media users to that of the Soviet Union.

Officials at X did not immediately respond to requests for comment

Of course, some of Musk’s current battles over free speech are similar to those the previous Twitter administration waged in repressive regimes that sometimes limited or blocked access to the platform to stifle dissent. In Venezuela, for example, President Nicolás Maduro ordered a 10-day blockade over X’s entry into the country last week – the latest in a series of attempts by his administration to try to curb the flow of information among people who have cast doubt on his claim to victory in the July 28 Presidential ElectionsMaduro accused X of being used by his opponents to create political unrest, and gave the company 10 days to “present their documents,” but gave no further details.

Musk’s antics are unlike those of other Big Tech leaders, and while it may be off-putting to some of his X user base, it could also draw attention to his platform. Could this all be part of a broader plan? Despite the public criticism of Musk’s antics, those who the left continues to use its platform.

“X has been surprisingly resilient during the recent controversy,” Enberg said. “That’s in no small part due to consumers’ fascination with conspiracy theories and Elon Musk himself.”

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AP Technology Writer Matt O’Brien contributed to this story.