Musk's X is trying to stop The Onion from buying Alex Jones' social media accounts.

Summary

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has filed a court motion claiming ownership of all X accounts, arguing they cannot be transferred, in an effort to block The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, Alex Jones’s conspiracy outlet.

The sale was part of a $1.4 billion judgment against Jones for defaming Sandy Hook families.

X’s filing asserts that users only hold a non-transferable license to their accounts, despite Musk’s prior actions threatening to reassign handles.

Critics view Musk’s move as aiding far-right figures like Jones and aligning with his MAGA agenda.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
    1251·
    2 days ago

    I just need someone to explain to me how this doesn’t mean he’s liable for anything posted on every account. If he has ownership of the account then the liability rest with him. So the meteoric rise of child pornography on Twitter would seem to indicate to me at least that Elon Musk is liable for child pornography. Not to mention hate speech and credible threats.

    • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
      283·
      2 days ago

      I believe the argument being used is roughly analogous to lending something to someone.

      If you borrow a lawnmower, it doesn’t get auctioned off when you go bankrupt. You get to use it however you like and if you commit a crime with it you’re responsible. It’s still ultimately owned by the person who leant it to you.

    • pivot_root@lemmy.world
      6·
      2 days ago

      The same provisions that protect internet providers when subscribers use their service to break the law, probably. As long as they pretend to be a communications provider and self-regulate, they’re shielded from liability.

      In this case, the account/handle could be argued to be equivalent to an IP address, which is something owned by the provider and not the user. If Felon Musk tried to claim copyright of user-submitted content as well as their accounts, that would be what opens up a large can of liability worms (by turning them into a publisher).

      • njm1314@lemmy.world
        6·
        2 days ago

        The problem with citing those Provisions is those companies have never claimed direct ownership of said accounts. This is an entirely new legal argument.

        • pivot_root@lemmy.world
          4·
          1 day ago

          It’s pushing existing boundaries, but I wouldn’t call it an entirely new argument. Twitter’s lawyers could (and probably would) argue that a Twitter account is analogous to something that is already well-established as being both property of the service provider and insulated enough that it doesn’t make the service provider liable for content published through it.

          My previous example of “Twitter account = IP address” is probably the easiest to explain through analogy.

          An IP address is an addressable identifier. /
          An account is an addressable identifier.

          Verizon owns their IP addresses. /
          Twitter owns their accounts.

          Subscribers can communicate under one of Verizon’s IP addresses. /
          Users can communicate under one of Twitter’s accounts.

          Verizon can not be held liable in civil court for actions performed with one of their IP addresses. /
          … (this is the argument Twitter could make)

          A sane court would probably find that the second point isn’t comparable because an account uniquely identifies a specific entity whereas an IP address is shared, but we don’t exactly live in times where sanity is a given. Alternatively, they could argue that “Twitter handle = IP address” and “Twitter account = subscriber account”.

          In any case, we won’t find out until when/if it makes it to court. Though, if it does, that might actually be one and only time I don’t side against the MPAA or RIAA.

  • pivot_root@lemmy.world
    45·
    2 days ago

    In 2022, Musk was hesitant to allow Jones back on the social media platform after he had been banned years earlier. Musk specifically said at the time that he wouldn’t allow Jones back on Twitter because his first child died and suggested that Jones had caused too much pain to grieving parents after the Sandy Hook massacre.

    “My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame,” Musk tweeted on Nov. 20, 2022, roughly a month after buying the platform.

    I’m surprised people still have any respect for this hypocrite.

  • Tuxman@sh.itjust.works
    134·
    2 days ago

    My tinfoil take: There’s something in the Twitter DM between him and Alex Jones that NEEDS to stay private.

  • JWBananas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    2 days ago

    Sure, but that doesn’t mean he owns any trademarks that might appear within those account names, like, say, Infowars or some such. He can give the account to whoever he wants. But he can’t protect them from being sued for trademark infringement if they use it.

  • crawancon@lemm.ee
    28·
    2 days ago

    Pepperidge Farm remembers when he took over the @x account from a long time user and no 'no transferable license was ever muttered when it benefited him not to do so.

    you take away all his money and you’re just left with pure, raw asshole.

    • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
      73·
      2 days ago

      It won’t. People on on twitter cause they say the engagement isn’t the same everywhere else. But I think its just bots.

      • nexguy@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 day ago

        I’ve started noticing embedded bluesky posts in news stories instead of embedded tweets. I think it might.

  • Zier@fedia.io
    101·
    2 days ago

    Just a reminder… melon head is a junkie. Everything he says is a drugged up delusion. Nothing to see here, just walk on by.

    • IcyToes@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      2 days ago

      You could say he’s under the influence, but as much as I dislike the guy and want him to fail, I cannot discount that he knows what he’s doing. He’s a billionaire, that bought a media company to further his business and personal interests. Just like Bezos. He feels he swung the US election and is fuelled by hubris and self-importance. A right winger using his media company to help out right wingers. Was it his choice or a favour for Donny, who knows. I do suspect Tesla and SpaceX are going to get a nice smooth run in terms of contracts, funding and legal disputes

      • Doomsider@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 day ago

        Dude is wanna be CEO of two companies, has no involvement in five other companies, has twelve kids with his employees he doesn’t take care of, and now wants to help run the US government when he couldn’t run a McDonald’s. He is spread thinner than a jar of mayonnaise on a thousand loaves.

        He has a team of handlers whose job is to literally keep him away from anything important. Not only does he not know what the fuck he is doing he is failing his kids, companies, and humanity.

        He bought a company with other peoples money and let them turn it into a propaganda machine to extort and sell influence around the world through deception and lies. He is Alex Jones Jr. with more money and more reach.

        A self admitted drug addict that thinks he knows more about manufacturing than any human alive. Once you peel back the lies and deception you have a Nepo baby manchild sexual assaulting conman.

        But sure he has a lot of money. I guess that is all it takes for some people to drop trough, spread them cheeks, and get ready for daddy Muskrat.

  • Snapz@lemmy.world
    2·
    1 day ago

    Feels like a great time for a competitor to explicitly state that you in fact, do own your account on their site. Nuance to that as tech bros is always gonna be tech bros (and blue sky is also tech bros, just with temporary infective to say “nah man, it’s cool baby…” for the time being while they build market share). But basically stating that you have full ownership and responsibility to manage your account, and that management transfers along with any kind of power of attorney shift or through any other related court actions

  • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
    12·
    2 days ago

    Man.

    He’s like if Dr. Evil and every bond villain were combined into one, then poorly written in a Sci-fi channel special as the wealthiest man in the world.

    He doesn’t actually do anything but be rich and say stupid shit, and for some reason people keep going along with it