Elon Musk, in a Tweet, Shares Link From Site Known to Publish False News - The New York Times

Business|Elon Musk, successful a Tweet, Shares Link From Site Known to Publish False News

Three days aft Elon Musk purchased Twitter, the billionaire posted a tweet that precocious baseless allegations astir the caller onslaught connected the hubby of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The tweet, connected Sunday, raised anew questions astir how, oregon if, Mr. Musk volition enactment to combat misinformation and hatred code connected the societal media site.

On Saturday, Hillary Clinton, the erstwhile archetypal woman and 2016 Democratic statesmanlike nominee, posted a tweet assailing Republicans for spreading “hate and deranged conspiracy theories” that she said had emboldened the antheral who attacked Ms. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, wrong the couple’s location successful San Francisco aboriginal Friday.

In a reply to Mrs. Clinton’s tweet, Mr. Musk wrote, “There is simply a tiny anticipation determination mightiness beryllium much to this communicative than meets the eye” and past shared a nexus to an nonfiction successful the Santa Monica Observer. The nonfiction alleges that Mr. Pelosi was drunk and successful a combat with a antheral prostitute.

A 2021 editorial successful The Los Angeles Times astir websites that “masquerade arsenic morganatic section newspapers” noted that the Santa Monica Observer, “owned by onetime City Council campaigner David Ganezer, is notorious for publishing mendacious news.” In 2016, for example, the work precocious a assertion that Mrs. Clinton had died and that a assemblage treble was sent to statement the Republican statesmanlike nominee, Donald J. Trump.

The constabulary person said that Mr. Pelosi, 82, was attacked with a hammer wrong his location by a man, David DePape, who had entered done the backmost door. The constabulary person said that erstwhile they arrived astatine the home, they recovered the 2 men wrestling for power of a hammer. The authorities person said that Mr. DePape, 42, would astir apt look respective charges, including attempted homicide and battle with a deadly weapon. At 1 point, Mr. DePape is said to person shouted, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?”

The tweet from Mr. Musk on Sunday came connected the heels of his vow in an unfastened missive to advertisers that Twitter would not go a freewheeling tract that allowed wholly unfettered commentary. 

“Twitter evidently cannot go a free-for-all hellscape, wherever thing tin beryllium said with nary consequences,” helium wrote. “Twitter aspires to beryllium the astir respected advertizing level successful the world.”

Mr. Musk’s purchase of Twitter for $44 billion was completed connected Thursday, the aforesaid time helium fired respective of the company’s apical leaders, including the main executive Parag Agrawal. 

Ahead of the anticipation of sweeping changes astatine the platform, similar reinstating the relationship of Mr. Trump, who was barred from the site aft the Jan. 6 insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol, Mr. Musk has said helium would make a contented moderation council. 

“No large contented decisions oregon relationship reinstatements volition hap earlier that assembly convenes,” helium wrote.