Despite portraying himself as a paragon of free speech, Twitter owner Elon Musk has repeatedly given into the requests of powerful autocratic regimes to silence their citizens. The Onion asked Twitter users how they felt about Musk’s censorship, and this is what they said.
“It’s not censorship if someone obnoxiously insists it isn’t.”
“Musk is protecting the true spirit of Twitter, which, of course, is talking a ton of shit online and immediately backing down when faced with real world consequences.
“I respect that Elon Musk is standing up for American values by saying one thing and then doing the opposite.”
“I applaud his commitment to absolute free speech, which is one of the three phrases you are currently allowed to post on Twitter.”
“I’m glad someone around here has the balls to cozy up to authoritarian regimes for millions of dollars.”
“I don’t mind him obeying foreign governments as long as he fights back against the true global puppet masters—college kids who won’t agree with me.”
“I guess the world just isn’t ready to hear the truth about Aerosmith.”
“I’m dismayed by how quickly he sold out, but that’s what I get for trusting a filthy, conniving immigrant.”
“I just assume he’s trying to be the only active user left.”
“Censorship is a small price to pay to become a crumbling platform with record-low engagement.”
“Censorship isn’t about what you can’t say in India or Turkey, it’s about what my kids tell me I can’t say at my own Thanksgiving table.”
“It’s frankly outrageous that he would accommodate such demands when he still does nothing about all the Succession spoilers I see on my feed.”
“Is he taking requests on whom to censor? I have enemies.”
“It’s not censorship. It’s the government wanting you to do something and you complying.”
“What you call censorship I just call filtering free speech through an autocratic regime.”
“I am confident the world’s richest man is doing everything possible to maintain Twitter as the last bastion of speaking truth to power.”
“Good boy.”