Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), has recently intensified his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, raising concerns about the social media platform’s political neutrality ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
On Monday, September 2, Musk shared an AI-generated image depicting Harris as a communist, complete with a red uniform and hammer-and-sickle hat. He captioned the image with a false claim: “Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one. Can you believe she wears that outfit!?”
This post, which appeared to violate X’s policy on manipulated content, has been viewed nearly 60 million times in less than 24 hours. The image resembled another AI-generated picture shared by former President Donald Trump during the Democratic National Convention, showing Harris addressing a crowd under communist symbols.
Musk’s post came just a day after he shared another controversial statement suggesting that only “high status males” should participate in government, claiming that women and men with “low testosterone” are incapable of critical thought. This post garnered over 19 million views.
These recent actions have fueled criticism that Musk, who has endorsed Trump for president and donated millions to a Republican super PAC, is using his platform to promote radical content and influence the upcoming election.
Musk’s political leanings have become increasingly apparent since his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022. Despite initially claiming that the platform would remain politically neutral, Musk’s actions suggest otherwise. He has relaxed content moderation policies, reinstated previously banned accounts, and openly supported right-wing views and politicians.
Critics argue that Musk’s decisions reflect a broader trend of insufficient oversight in Silicon Valley companies, contributing to a regulatory void. While Musk’s actions have energized certain groups, they have also heightened political polarization.
The impact of Musk’s controversial posts extends beyond the United States. In Brazil, Musk’s refusal to comply with the Superior Electoral Court’s orders to remove content deemed a threat to election integrity led to X being banned in the country. The court also froze assets of Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, which was being used to bypass the X ban.
Musk has antagonized the Brazilian judiciary, posting an image of Judge Alexandre de Moraes behind bars and comparing him to a “Harry Potter villain.” This escalation comes despite previous warnings to X about maintaining election safeguards.
The controversy surrounding Musk’s ownership of X has not been limited to political content. In November 2023, Musk faced backlash for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, which he later apologized for, calling it the “worst and dumbest post” he had ever made. He also promoted the long-debunked “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, alleging that high-profile Democrats ran a pedophile abuse ring.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA) over toxic content on the platform. If found non-compliant with EU rules, X could face significant fines. The commission is being urged to enforce the law rigorously against Musk to ensure he follows the same rules as other platform owners.
Musk’s actions have had financial repercussions for X. Major advertisers have pulled ads from the platform following Musk’s controversial posts. In response, Musk told these advertisers to “go f___ yourself,” further straining relationships with key revenue sources. The platform’s valuation and advertising revenue have dropped significantly since Musk’s takeover.
Despite the controversies, Musk maintains a significant following on X, with 196 million followers. His posts, whether controversial or not, reach a vast audience and have the potential to shape public opinion.
The upcoming U.S. presidential election is shaping up to be a close contest between Harris and Trump, with Musk’s influence potentially playing a significant role. Ethics experts have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest if Musk becomes involved in a future Trump administration, given his extensive business interests.
As the election approaches, the role of social media platforms in shaping political discourse remains a contentious issue. Musk’s ownership of X and his increasingly partisan posts have reignited debates about the responsibility of platform owners in maintaining political neutrality and combating misinformation.