Elon Musk's appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience in November 2024 offered a mix of open discussions, fascinating anecdotes and bold claims. The two-hour conversation touched on everything from Musk's gaming skills to his dietary preferences. Still, one of the biggest takeaways was Rogan's heartfelt praise for Musk's controversial purchase of Twitter, now rebranded as X.
Rogan declared Musk's acquisition pivotal in preserving free speech: “Thank you so much for buying Twitter. Thank you so much. I'm not exaggerating when I think you changed the course of history."
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Overpriced But Vital?
Musk admitted that buying Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 was "way overpriced," but he felt it was necessary to stop growing censorship and control over what people can say online. Rogan agreed, criticizing the suppression of information on social media platforms before Musk's involvement. Specifically, they discussed Twitter's role in controversial events like the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story and the censorship of dissenting voices during the pandemic.
"If you didn't do it, no one else would have," Rogan said. "I keep hearing from idiots: ‘Elon’s a bad business owner. Twitter is worth 400% less than when he bought it.’ No it wasn’t worth that in the first place. It wasn’t worth $44 billion, you morons.”
Musk's rationale for purchasing Twitter stemmed from his observations as the platform's most interacted-with user. He claimed he could detect algorithmic changes and censorship efforts, which made him uneasy. Rogan called Musk's actions a "fork in the road," preventing governments and corporations from monopolizing control over digital discourse.
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Despite Musk's claims of being a free speech absolutist, X's record has been questioned. Experts such as Dr. Julianna Kirschner, a lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, argue that misinformation and disinformation have been running rampant on X since Musk's takeover. She also pointed out that false content spreads so easily on X and other social media platforms because there are no effective safeguards in place to prevent it.
Additionally, according to a report by the non-profit group Center for Countering Digital Hate, false or misleading statements by Musk about the U.S. election gathered a staggering two billion views on X in 2024.
A September 2024 transparency report by the platform revealed that X complied with 71% of government takedown requests during the first half of the year, a significant increase from Twitter's pre-Musk era, according to the Washington Post.
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Critics argue this contradicts Musk's public stance, pointing to his compliance with censorship laws in countries like Turkey and South Korea. Musk defended these actions by saying noncompliance could result in the platform being banned in certain markets.
The debate over free speech intensified after Rogan's interview. Conservative influencers accused Musk of selectively silencing dissenting views, particularly those critical of his pro-immigration stance.
The removal of monetization features from several prominent MAGA accounts fueled claims that X's algorithms disproportionately affect certain political perspectives. Musk defended the platform's algorithm, stating that accounts heavily muted or blocked by users would naturally see reduced reach.
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While Musk's tenure as the head of X has been polarizing, Rogan believes his purchase marked a turning point in the fight against censorship. Musk's introduction of Community Notes, a fact-checking feature open to the platform's users, has been praised as a transparent way to combat misinformation.
However, his compliance with certain governments and the ongoing accusations of algorithmic bias leave many questioning the balance between his ideals and the realities of running a global platform.
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