autoevolution
 

Elon Musk Goes on a Banning Spree After New Twitter Doxxing Rule

In what has been described as the most chaotic and confusing 24 hours since he took over Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has gone on a virtual banning spree, prompted by a very scary run with an alleged stalker.
Elon Musk bans 25 Twitter accounts of bot tracking private jets, and at least 6 of journalists 10 photos
Photo: Twitter / Elon Musk
Elon Musk bans 25 Twitter accounts of bot tracking private jets, and at least 6 of journalistsElon Musk bans 25 Twitter accounts of bot tracking private jets, and at least 6 of journalistsElon Musk bans 25 Twitter accounts of bot tracking private jets, and at least 6 of journalistsElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time TrackingElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time TrackingElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time TrackingElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time TrackingElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time TrackingElon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Real-Time Tracking
Yesterday, Musk took to Twitter to ask for help with identifying an alleged “crazy stalker,” who had followed the car his son with pop star Grimes was in, thinking it was Musk himself inside. According to Musk, the same person blocked Musk’s vehicle with his own car and jumped on the hood. The incident led to an announcement that he was taking legal action against 20-year-old university student Jack Sweeney, who had set up several accounts tracking Musk’s private jet, sharing its location on the platform.

In January this year, Sweeney told autoevolution that Musk had reached out to him in a private message, offering him $5,000 to take down the account. Sweeney refused the offer, but only because he wanted another zero added to that figure so he could repay his student loans, or a new Tesla instead. Since then, he’d expanded his tracking “business,” setting up accounts that tracked the private jets of anyone who was anyone, whether a celebrity (like Kim Kardashian or Taylor Swift), a politician, a Russian oligarch, or a businessperson.

According to Musk, Sweeney’s activity was nothing short of doxxing. Just one month ago, Musk said that he wouldn’t ban the account because of his “commitment to free speech.” The latest incident has forced him to have a change of heart: he’s banned not only Sweeney’s account and all the other accounts he’d set up, but also half a dozen high-profile journalists.

Ryan Mac of The New York Times, independent journalists Aaron Rupar and Tony Webster, Drew Harwell of The Washington Post, Donie O’Sullivan from CNN, Matt Binder of Mashable, Micah Lee from The Intercept, and political journalist Keith Olbermann have all been suspended. All of these journalists would often cover Musk, but Musk himself says that what eventually brought on the ban was the fact that they linked to Sweeney on a regular basis. In other words, they were in violation of Twitter’s new doxxing rule.

Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not,” Musk says in one of his most recent tweets. In another, he says that Sweeney & Co. sent out his exact location, so “basically assassination coordinates.”

The issue of bot tracking has been a controversial one since day one, and most Musk supporters agree that he did the right thing by banning accounts that post private information online, even if it’s publicly available. But Musk’s new rule is not without critics, with many pointing out how his idea of “free speech” seems to be a one-way street, where his rules apply to everyone, unless he’s personally affected.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories