Elon Musk is no stranger to controversy, and his most recent outburst is just one of the many that have come from the tech billionaire and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
In an expletive-laden rant, Musk targeted advertisers who have boycotted his social media platform, X.X, in recent weeks. Speaking at a virtual event for the annual Web Summit, Musk said that those boycotting X.X should “stop pretending they’re moral arbiters.”
The boycott began in April after several brands pulled their ads from the social media platform, citing a lack of transparent moderation and protection from misinformation and hate speech. The boycott was also in response to X.X’s announcement that it would no longer display political ads.
Musk lashed out at the advertisers who have taken part in the boycott, saying that it “amounts to corporate virtue signaling.” He added that the companies boycotting X.X were only “vocalizing shallow values that they think will make them popular.”
The tech mogul also said that the boycott “feels like a coordinated attack” and accused its participants of having a “secret agenda.” He suggested that the boycott’s hidden aim was to damage his company.
Musk’s outburst is sure to draw further criticism from the tech and business industries, as well as from social media users. The boycott has already resulted in a drop in X.X’s user base, as well as a significant dip in its stock price.
Ultimately, the message delivered by Musk is clear: businesses need to stop pretending that they care about values and morals and start focusing on their own. Whether this strategy will have a positive outcome, however, remains to be seen.
Elon Musk is no stranger to controversy, and his most recent outburst is just one of the many that have come from the tech billionaire and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
In an expletive-laden rant, Musk targeted advertisers who have boycotted his social media platform, X.X, in recent weeks. Speaking at a virtual event for the annual Web Summit, Musk said that those boycotting X.X should “stop pretending they’re moral arbiters.”
The boycott began in April after several brands pulled their ads from the social media platform, citing a lack of transparent moderation and protection from misinformation and hate speech. The boycott was also in response to X.X’s announcement that it would no longer display political ads.
Musk lashed out at the advertisers who have taken part in the boycott, saying that it “amounts to corporate virtue signaling.” He added that the companies boycotting X.X were only “vocalizing shallow values that they think will make them popular.”
The tech mogul also said that the boycott “feels like a coordinated attack” and accused its participants of having a “secret agenda.” He suggested that the boycott’s hidden aim was to damage his company.
Musk’s outburst is sure to draw further criticism from the tech and business industries, as well as from social media users. The boycott has already resulted in a drop in X.X’s user base, as well as a significant dip in its stock price.
Ultimately, the message delivered by Musk is clear: businesses need to stop pretending that they care about values and morals and start focusing on their own. Whether this strategy will have a positive outcome, however, remains to be seen.
