#DearElon: Free speech advocates urge Musk to thwart gov’t censorship
Free speech advocates are urging Elon Musk to extend his support for those facing discrimination by employers for their X posts to those suffering government censorship. The call comes on the first anniversary of Musk taking the reins as CEO of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The open letter to Musk dated Oct. 27 has been signed by more than 50 international free speech advocates, including high-profile X users and academics, the Europe-based human rights group ADF International said in a statement, adding that notable signatories include Cambridge University academic James Orr, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, and professor Eric Kaufmann of the University of Buckingham, among others.
Musk had tweeted in August that he would fund legal aid for individuals discriminated against by employers due to their X posts. The letter praises Musk for this and asks him to extend similar assistance to those oppressed by government actions.
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The letter specifically calls for Musk to allocate funds to challenge state-sponsored censorship, create an intake system for individuals to apply for such aid, and host X Spaces to highlight censorship issues worldwide.
“Free speech is the cornerstone of a free society. Unfortunately, we see state-driven censorship on the rise across the world,” said Kristen Waggoner, CEO of the U.S.-based Alliance Defending Freedom, whose international branch ADF International is highlighting the cases of Päivi Rasanen, Gabriel Quadri, and Rodrigo Iván Cortés.”
Waggoner further noted in a statement accompanying the letter Musk’s leadership in upholding free speech and hoped that he would extend this support to combat government censorship.
The letter’s website states that the signatories represent a diverse range of viewpoints and are united in their commitment to free speech. The site also emphasizes that free and open debate is crucial for tackling contemporary issues and fostering a flourishing society.
The open letter cites international cases to underline the urgency of its message. In Finland, Päivi Räsänen, a member of Parliament, faces criminal charges for a Bible-verse tweet. The tweet questioned her church’s sponsorship of an LGBT pride event.
In Mexico, public figures Rodrigo Iván Cortés and Gabriel Quadri were convicted for Twitter posts expressing their views on biological sex. Both were mandated to publish a court-written apology on X, three times a day for 30 days. This action was described in the open letter as “a form of public humiliation.”
The letter reads, “At the international level, the European Commission is advancing efforts to make ‘hate speech’ an EU crime, on the same legal level as trafficking and terrorism. Initiatives such as the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation could have significant implications for how governments police speech, especially as European Commission VP Věra Jourová singled out X for ‘the largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts’ in her September 26, 2023, statement.”
ADF International’s Executive Director Paul Coleman also commented on the expanding challenge of state censorship, noting that Musk’s existing support for X users facing employer discrimination is commendable but should extend to those confronting state censorship. His remarks were part of his endorsement of the open letter.
Initially signed by more than 50 individuals, the open letter is now open for public signatures.
