As XB次元官网网址檚 owner and most followed user, Elon Musk has increasingly used the social media platform as a microphone to amplify his political views and, lately, those of right-wing figures heB次元官网网址檚 aligned with. There are few modern parallels to his antics, but then again there are few modern parallels to Elon Musk himself.

Of course, none of this should come as a surprise.

Back in 2022 when he was trying to buy Twitter, Musk said he was doing so because it wasnB次元官网网址檛 living up to its potential as a B次元官网网址減latform for free speech.B次元官网网址� Protecting free speech B次元官网网址� not money B次元官网网址� was his motivation because, as he put it, B次元官网网址渉aving a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization.B次元官网网址�

Musk often ruminates on the future of civilization. For one, he appears fixated on a coming B次元官网网址� ,B次元官网网址� threatening to wipe out humanity. And he joined prominent scientists and tech leaders last year in doing the same. Musk has framed threats to free speech as yet another existential crisis looming over the world. And he is going to try his best to save it.

B次元官网网址淔ree speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,B次元官网网址� Musk said in an April 2022 post, adding to highlight the statement.

Two years on, the platform B次元官网网址� now called X B次元官网网址� has indeed become a haven for the type of free speech Musk has come to champion. In the U.S., heB次元官网网址檚 spread memes B次元官网网址� and sometimes misinformation B次元官网网址� about illegal immigration, alleged election fraud and transgender policies, and he formally endorsed former President Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 presidential bid this summer.

In May 2023, he co-hosted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisB次元官网网址� official presidential bid announcement. That turned out to be marred by technical glitches but it underscored MuskB次元官网网址檚 desire to turn X into a B次元官网网址渄igital town square.B次元官网网址� After the event was marred by technical difficulties, Musk extended an open invitation to any other presidential candidate who wants to do one.

Trump took him up on it, agreeing to an interview with the billionaire Tesla CEO on Monday evening. The conversation started with with people unable to join in and began some 42 minutes late.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e not been very political before,B次元官网网址� Musk said during his conversation with Trump.

Overseas B次元官网网址� where most X users live B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 feuded with top officials in , , the European Union and over the balance between free speech and the spread of harmful misinformation. And he in his native South Africa of B次元官网网址渙penly pushing for genocide of white people.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淓lon Musk is a master of the media and controls one of the worldB次元官网网址檚 largest microphones. Musk understands the power of social media in shaping a political narrative,B次元官网网址� said Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg.

B次元官网网址淭he concern is that as he pushes his own political agenda, X could suppress viewpoints that oppose MuskB次元官网网址檚 own, either intentionally or by nature of the platform becoming more partisan. That could turn off users who feel marginalized on the platform, and disillusion some who may have earlier bought into his free speech mantra.B次元官网网址�

MuskB次元官网网址檚 political shift playing out on X comes as other social media platforms, notably MetaB次元官网网址檚 Facebook and Instagram, are shying away from politics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has never endorsed a presidential candidate B次元官网网址� and in February, the worldB次元官网网址檚 largest social media company announced it to people who donB次元官网网址檛 already follow such accounts.

Lately, Zuckerberg appears to contrast Musk in other ways too. While as recently as January, the Facebook founder was testifying before Congress about the harm his platform has caused children, he seemed to have embraced a more stylish look that includes gold chains, longer curls and a beaming confidence coupled with slightly self-deprecating humor that seems to embrace his eccentricities.

On July 4, for instance, he posted a video of himself riding an electric surfboard, wearing a tuxedo and holding a can of beer in one hand and an American flag in the other. The online response was far more positive than to a 2021 surfing photo, where heB次元官网网址檚 seen slathered in so much sunscreen it looks like he is wearing a white mask.

Musk, meanwhile, is veering from cool nerd territory into what , the elder stateswoman of tech journalism, recently called B次元官网网址渢he Howard Hughes portionB次元官网网址� of an inevitable decline. HeB次元官网网址檚 sparring with those who disagree with him B次元官网网址� be they foreign governments or people infected by what he calls the B次元官网网址渨oke mind virus.B次元官网网址�

Last week, the to act more responsibly after the tech billionaire used X to unleash a barrage of posts that risk inflaming violent unrest gripping the country.

Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments after Musk posted a comment saying that B次元官网网址淐ivil war is inevitableB次元官网网址� in the U.K. Musk later doubled down, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists and comparing BritainB次元官网网址檚 crackdown on social media users to the Soviet Union.

Officials at X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Of course, some of MuskB次元官网网址檚 current battles over free speech are similar to those that the previous Twitter administration was fighting in repressive regimes that have, at times, restricted or blocked access to the platform to suppress dissent. In Venezuela, for instance, President Nicol谩s on access to X in the country last week B次元官网网址� the latest in a series of efforts by his government to try to suppress information sharing among people voicing doubts about his claim to victory in the . Maduro accused X of being used by his opponents to create political unrest, and gave the company 10 days to B次元官网网址減resent their documents,B次元官网网址� but he gave no additional details.

MuskB次元官网网址檚 antics are unlike any other Big Tech leader, and while it may be off-putting to a segment of his X user base, it could also attract eyeballs to his platform. Could this all be part of a broader plan? After all, despite publicly criticizing MuskB次元官网网址檚 antics, those on .

B次元官网网址淴 has remained surprisingly resilient throughout the recent controversy,B次元官网网址� Enberg said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 in no small part due to consumer fascination with conspiracy theories and Elon Musk himself.B次元官网网址�