Elon Musk says he need free speech, but his experience shows otherwise
Tesla also SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man on paper, bought Twitter, the social media platform he is relied on for years, to further his interests and shape his public image.
“Freedom of articulation is the foundation of a functioning democracy. Also Twitter is the digital town square for discussing issues important to the future of humanity,” Musk said in a statement announcing the deal on Monday. Over the years. Musk has described himself as a First Amendment also free speech advocate, including defending himself in a defamation case. After calling a critic a “guide-man” (Musk won) and alleging that the SEC violated his rights under mutual agreement, which they resolved and revised after the agency accused him of securities fraud in 2018.
But as The Atlantic, Bloomberg, and others have pointed out. Musk’s advocacy for free speech seems to revolve mostly around his speeches or those of his fans also supporters. TechDirt claims Musk has no profound understanding of free speech, alone content moderation.
workers speech
When it reaches to the freedom of expression of his employees, Musk shows little tolerance.
When Tesla laid-off employees under his leadership. They were require to sign a severance agreement, including a solid indefinite deferral clause. Arrangements of this kind are not uncommon in the industry, but Musk is far from being a free speech absolutist.
A copy of one such agreement from Tesla shared with news by a former team member who was fire in 2018 (who did not sign the agreement) says:
“You agree not to discredit Tesla, Company products or their employees, directors, officers, shareholders, agents, subsidiaries. Also affiliates that could harm them or their business, commercial reputation, or personal reputation.
In the same document, Tesla requires fired employees to keep the separation agreement details confidential except for their attorneys, accountants, or immediate family even other employees.
“The terms of this Agreement will be kept confidential by you and will not be publish or disclose. The agreement reads. “In particular also without limitation. You agree not to disclose the terms of this Agreement to some current or former employees or contractors of the Company.”
Like most large companies, Tesla requires workers to sign an arbitration agreement upon hiring. To speak freely in court, where his speech is part of the public archive. The worker must first obtain an exemption from the arbitration agreement from the judge.