By Aaron Miller-
Elon Musk alongside multiple organisations are being questioned about advertising spotted on around 40 high-profile brands and organizations have been spotted on the Twitter pages of white nationalists.
The twitter boss is under fire his free speech twitter platform under his leadership was found endorsing the accounts of known white nationalist extremists, raising important questions about Musk’s support or otherwise for these groups.
The accomplished entrepreneur will be directly asked if he supports the idea of white nationalists freely expressing their extremists’ views as part of his free speech campaign, and whether he supports the idea of companies advertising on the platform of these hateful groups.
Ads from major brands like Amazon, Uber, Snap, and GoDaddy, media companies like USA Today seen on the offending Twitter pages has led to efforts to probe the organisations involved to establish whether their decision to advertise on the platforms of white nationalists is an expression of its implicit or over support for the denounced groups.
Most of the organisations contacted by the Washington Post, who made the revelations have not responded to the questions asked, but the U.S news outlet told this publication it would continue to seek answers, if a formal response is not forthcoming in due course. The Eye Of Media.Com will join in pushing for responses from each organisation in question, asserting the obvious conclusion that deductions of covert support will be automatic if the adverts continue to show on the objectionable white nationalist platforms.
USA Today vowed to withdraw its advertising from the platform. Its spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón said: “We are reaching out to Twitter immediately as this obviously does not align with our values or mission.”
The ads spotted on the profiles of Andrew Anglin and Patrick Casey, both of whom are known to be extremist nationalist groups. Anglin is the editor of neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, and Casey once led white nationalist group Identity Evropa (later rebranded as the American Identity Movement).
Anglin once openly expressed his support for Hitler, quoting the notorious dictator’s ideology on his platform.
Both groups were banned from Twitter in 2013 and 2019 respectively, but Elon Musk reversed the ban following his controversial takeover of Twitter.
The billionaire polled his followers on whether they’d like the platform to offer a “general amnesty” to suspended accounts, and over 70 percent of respondents voting in favour. Accounts for Anglin and Casey were subsequently reopened. The outcome revealed some of the flaws in Musk’s decision making to reverse former decisions involving major bans, given the importance of a social media platform like twitter to be wisely decisive, without being reliant on the views of a lay majority.
Before Musk’s multibillion take over, twitter worked hard to ensure advertisements were prevented from appearing alongside hateful content in a desirable bid to ensure platforms with despicable content were not rewarded.
Musk, who leadership of twitter is inspired by his excessive quest for free speech has been criticised for his seeming ignorance of the need to restrict hateful content on his platform.
The pressure on the new twitter owner to take a stand on support for hateful groups will now be intensified, with the twitter boss himself being in a tight corner on whether his conception of free speech includes allowing speech designed and capable of inciting and stirring hatred and division.
Musk’s overall stance on hateful speech will be tested with precise questioning demanding clear responses on his position. Of vital importance is the billionaire’s position on whether it is roper for white nationalists to be financially supported by big corporations to help them flourish and become better equipped at promoting their course. His silence or responses to unavoidable questions will be highly indicative of his own principles on critical issues of our day.
Musk has been celebrated by autistic researchers who credit his phenomenal success to an incredible level of intelligence and capability in autistic people not widely acknowledge enough. Some of his shortcomings has also been associated with his autism and a regrettable experience of bullying he faced in his childhood.
The unusual leadership of the U.S magnate is under intense scrutiny by journalists and academics, who are paying close attention to every detail of the controversial system he has established on one of the world’s most popular social media platform.
Amazon and Godaddy have been contacted for comment and will be pursued until one is obtained.
Observers are fairly confident that Amazon will eventually withdraw their advertising, given the known reasonable and moderate outlook of its owner Jeff Bezos, known for his philanthropic endeavours and pursuit of a bteer world.