Popular Information - Of, by, and for the billionaires
Billionaire Elon Musk just signed a deal to buy Twitter. Billionaire Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. Billionaire Rupert Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Now, more than ever, we need independent reporting that isn't afraid to take on the powerful and isn't controlled by the ultra rich. Paxton claims he is interested in spam accounts on Twitter because inflating the number of users increases "the costs of doing business with it, thus directly harming Texas consumers and businesses." Twitter, however, is free for Texas consumers to use. Texas businesses have many other ways to evaluate the effectiveness of their ads, including clicks and sales. And if Paxton was truly concerned about the impact of fake social media accounts on Texans, why is he not requesting similar information from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and other platforms? The investigation only makes sense as a fishing expedition on behalf of Musk. While Paxton's investigation is particularly brazen, he is far from the only Republican elected official wielding government power for Musk's benefit. It represents a reorienting of the state from the public good to the idiosyncratic needs of billionaires. DeSantis threatens Twitter's boardDeSantis alleged that Twitter “rejected [Musk’s offer] because they know that they can’t control Elon Musk,” arguing that Twitter “know[s] that he will not accept the narrative and that their little play toy of Twitter, it would not be used to enforce orthodoxy and to basically prop up the regime and these failed legacy media outlets.” Ultimately, DeSantis did not get an opportunity to make good on his threats because Musk’s bid was accepted by the Twitter board. But DeSantis demonstrated his willingness to use the power of the state to help Musk. House Republicans demand Twitter "preserve records" related to Musk dealThe letter was signed by 18 House Republicans including Jim Jordan (R-OH), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. The letter was "a formal request [to] preserve all records and materials relating to Musk’s offer to purchase Twitter, including Twitter’s consideration and response to this offer, and Twitter’s evaluation of its shareholder interests with respect to Musk’s offer.” The Republicans claimed this step was necessary as part of their examination of "Big Tech" and "how to best protect Americans’ free speech rights." The letter, addressed to Twitter Board Chairman Bret Taylor, accused Twitter of “attack[ing]” free speech online and stated that “the Board’s reactions to [Musk’s] offer to purchase Twitter, and outsider opposition to Musk’s role in Twitter’s future are concerning.” The letter also argued that “[d]ecisions regarding Twitter’s future governance will undoubtedly be consequential for public discourse in the United States and could give rise to renewed efforts to legislate in furtherance of preserving free expression online.” |
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