Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has reinstated the account of right-wing personality Alex Jones on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. This decision was made following a poll conducted on the platform, where approximately 70% of respondents voted in favor of Jones's return.
Jones, a well-known conspiracy theorist, was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for spreading a false conspiracy theory about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He was also ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages to the relatives of Sandy Hook shooting victims for falsely claiming they were actors involved in a government plot. Prior to his ban on Twitter, Jones had also been banned from major platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
Despite the potential financial implications for X, Musk has argued that principles matter more than money. This move has sparked controversy and raised concerns about hate speech appearing alongside ads on the platform. Some companies have distanced themselves from X due to these concerns.
In addition to Jones, Musk has also reinstated other controversial figures on X, including former President Donald Trump and far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, has faced criticism for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory and has clashed with advertisers over their concerns.
