Tesla founder Elon Musk set off a torrent of speculation after he posted a poll about Twitter and freedom of speech, which he said would be consequential.
Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, asked his 79 million Twitter followers whether they think the social media giant is facilitating free speech. As of Friday afternoon, about 1.2 million people had responded to the informal survey with a vast majority, nearly 70%, pushing back on the notion.
“Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?” Musk asked. “The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.”
The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022
Speculation quickly began to grow that Musk might be plotting to start his own rival social media network because of the questions surrounding Twitter and freedom of speech.
MUSK ACCUSES THE SEC OF HARASSING TESLA TO CHILL HIS CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT
The Twitter poll came a day after the billionaire posted another informal survey asking his followers whether Twitter’s algorithm should be open source. More than 82% of respondents agreed that it should, and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey even jumped into the conversation.
“The choice of which algorithm to use (or not) should be open to everyone,” said Dorsey, who announced his resignation in November.
The choice of which algorithm to use (or not) should be open to everyone https://t.co/o2DkSTWW0O
— jack⚡️ (@jack) March 25, 2022
The polls come as Musk’s past tweets have been in the news. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asked a federal judge this week to hold Musk to an agreement from a 2018 consent decree that mandated that Tesla lawyers need to approve tweets and other social media posts that could affect Tesla.
The tweet in question that led to the settlement with the SEC was when Musk said that he was considering taking Tesla private after its share price reached $420, adding, “Funding secured.” The SEC sued Musk in response.
The SEC has additionally issued a subpoena, which Musk is working to quash, in response to another Twitter poll from November in which the billionaire asked his followers whether he should offload a large chunk of his Tesla holdings.
“Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?” Musk asked. “I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes.”
Of the 3.5 million accounts that responded to the poll, 58% said Musk should sell. The poll sent Tesla’s stock price dipping by about 16% in the days after the tweet.
Musk has pushed back on the SEC through his lawyer, Alex Spiro. In February, Spiro sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan that described a “pattern of conduct” by the SEC that “has gone beyond the pale.”
Spiro also claimed the SEC was using its power to investigate Musk for his vocal criticism of the government. Musk has repeatedly rebuked the Biden administration’s proposals and has criticized the government more generally.
“The SEC seems to be targeting Mr. Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government; the SEC’s outsized efforts seem calculated to chill his exercise of First Amendment rights rather than to enforce generally applicable laws in evenhanded fashion,” the letter said.
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In January, Musk tweeted that President Joe Biden is “treating the American public like fools.” While Biden was trying to pass his now-dead “Build Back Better” tax and spending plan, Musk attacked the “trickery” of the bill and channeled free market economist Milton Friedman.
“Nothing is more permanent than a ‘temporary’ government program,” the Tesla founder said, which is an almost exact word-for-word quote from Friedman, who was a preeminent capitalist thinker.
