BILLIONAIRE Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has resulted in numerous controversial viewpoints, including the world’s most prominent social media activists and celebrities leaving the platform in form of protest.
Recently, the banning of disgraced rapper Kanye West prompted singer-songwriter Jack White to express his own sentiments.
In a lengthy Instagram post published on Friday, the 47-year-old musician criticised Musk for allowing hate speech on the social media platform.
“So Elon, how’s that free speech’ thing working out?” his message began, alongside a screenshot of Kanye West’s suspended Twitter account. “Oh, I see, so you have to choose who gets free speech and who doesn’t then? What kind of crybaby liberal suspends someone’s free speech?”
West’s account was suspended last week after he tweeted a swastika, which Musk said “violated [Twitter’s] rule against incitement to violence.”
“Conspiracy liar Alex Jones doesn’t get ‘free speech’ either? I see. So you’re learning that these folks incite violence and hatred but Trump ... doesn’t?” added White.
Last month, White deactivated his Third Man Records page on Twitter as a result of Musk’s decision to let former US president Donald Trump back on the platform.
White asked Musk whether the removal of Jones and West was because they “can’t provide tax breaks for billionaires the way the former president could?”
White elaborated on his decision to leave Twitter in November in a lengthy Instagram post. At the time, he commented that returning the account to the former president was “absolutely disgusting”.
West, 45, who was originally banned from Twitter in October following weeks of controversy, including making antisemitic remarks which have caused several major brands to cut ties with him, such as Adidas.
Numerous celebrities, including Gigi Hadid, Jim Carrey, Sara Bareilles, Whoopi Goldberg, and Pedro Pascal, have also criticised Musk previously and abandoned the app by tweeting their final messages and leaving.
