Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday took a direct aim at the United Nations as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for coordinated international action to combat online misinformation. In an X post, Musk wrote, “Defund the UN.”
Guterres raised alarm over the spread of hate and falsehoods online, accusing digital platforms of being misused to “subvert science” and “spread disinformation and hate to billions of people.” His comments were tied to the launch of a new UN Policy Brief on “Information Integrity on Digital Platforms,” which outlines a proposed global framework to regulate online content.
"Digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people. This clear and present global threat demands clear and coordinated global action. Our Policy Brief on Information Integrity Digital Platforms puts forward a framework for a (concerted) international response," Guterres said.
It’s not the first time Musk has criticized efforts to moderate or fact-check online content. Since acquiring X, he has rolled back many of the platform’s previous content policies, reinstated controversial accounts, and emphasized what he calls a “free speech absolutist” vision for the internet.
In March this year, Musk supported a call for the United States to quit NATO and the United Nations. The US has already distanced itself from global institutions, pulling out of the WHO, UNHRC, and UNRWA, cutting foreign aid, and refusing to recognise the International Criminal Court.
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