A Slap in the Face

Elon Musk seems to believe that he is in danger because a Twitter account is sharing real-time flight data of his jet. But this demonstrates the arbitrary way in which he uses the platform for his own purposes.

Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed proponent of free speech, which he considered endangered before he took over at Twitter, has never been particularly self-deprecating. But buying a social network for several billion dollars, only to later suspend critical journalists, adds a whole new dimension.

Doing so while claiming to be a victim of doxxing is a slap in the face for all those who are genuinely seriously affected by this form of digital abuse. The lives of people who do not have billions in the bank or their own security personnel to ensure their safety 24/7 are truly placed in danger when private information is published about them.

The fact that Musk really seems to believe that he is being put at risk of doxxing because a Twitter account is sharing real-time flight date of his private jet demonstrates the arbitrary way in which he uses the platform for his own purposes. Neither the suspension of journalists nor the blocking of all links to competitor Mastodon’s platform is likely to be compatible with European rules in relation to the regulation of online platforms. The Digital Services Act is facing its first big test. It will be interesting to see which steps the EU takes next.