Elon Musk Denies Substack Links Are Blocked On Twitter, A Claim That’s Very Misleading
ForbesAPR 2023
The Spin
Narrative A
If Elon Musk’s claims of being a free-speech absolutist weren’t obviously phony to the public, they definitely are now. Musk purports to be this vanguard of free and open discussion, buying Twitter for strictly altruistic motives. However, Musk has done the exact opposite by censoring more speech than ever, and he's more than happy to do so at the behest of autocratic governments. Musk doesn’t care about free speech, and he never did.
Narrative B
Of course, Elon Musk is driven by a deep commitment to free speech, but he's not an all-powerful deity that can change laws in countries around the world. Musk has done more than any person in recent memory to advance free speech in the West, but his platform can only operate within the confines of a country’s law. Twitter’s compliance with a country’s request doesn’t signal agreement. In fact, it's the only way to allow any discourse at all.