Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, raised significant concerns on Tuesday regarding Elon Musk“s management of free speech on his social media platform, X. Buterin pointed to what he described as a “coordinated hate” campaign targeting the European Union, expressing his discontent with the current climate on the platform.
In his remarks, Buterin argued that rather than being a “global totem pole” for free speech, X has devolved into a “death star laser” facilitating harmful hate sessions. He emphasized that this shift contradicts the very principles that Musk has publicly advocated for.
“I”m seriously worried that huge backlashes against values I hold dear are coming in a few years” time,” Buterin stated, noting that the intensity of attacks against Europe on the platform is becoming increasingly “unhinged.”
When asked about the potential for censorship of undesirable speech, Buterin accused Musk of “actively tweaking” the platform”s algorithms to favor certain types of content while suppressing others. “As long as that power lever exists, I”d prefer it be used to boost niceness instead of boosting ragebait,” he added, highlighting concerns over the ethical implications of algorithm manipulation.
These comments from Buterin come in light of Musk”s recent contentious statements regarding the EU, including a call to “abolish” the bloc following a substantial fine of $140 million imposed on X for breaching the EU”s online content regulations. This fine was tied to X”s non-compliance with transparency rules outlined in the EU”s Digital Services Act.
Musk”s inflammatory remarks were reportedly prompted by a post from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which criticized corruption within the EU. In response to the fine, Musk warned of potential repercussions directed at the officials responsible for the penalty.
Critics have increasingly accused Musk of leveraging his political influence through his social media activities. An analysis from NBC News last month pointed out that the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX often uses X to share content focused on themes such as immigration, violent crime, and judges he perceives as being overly lenient.
The X team has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations or Buterin”s concerns. As the discourse around free speech and online conduct continues to evolve, the implications of Musk”s decisions at X are likely to remain in the spotlight.
