China is Tesla’s second largest market, after the US. Chinese manufacturers are also very important suppliers of Tesla, which means that in general Ayalon Musk is very dependent on decisions made somewhere in Beijing. China does block Twitter for its citizens but it certainly cares From what has been written about her on the social network, where global trends are determined.
All of these insights were tweeted by New York Times reporter Mike Foresight following the deal in which Musk bought Twitter. Whoever surprisingly rushed to share this tweet is none other than Musk’s rival for the title of the richest man in the world Jeff Bezos, who also owns Blue Origin who competes in Musk’s Spice X. “Has the Chinese government now been given a crane on the town square?” Wrote Bezos, who later partially withdrew his remarks, estimating that Chinese censorship had not yet reached Twitter. .
The dangerous combination of business power and communication
But Bezos certainly understands something on the subject. The founder of Amazon also holds an important media body, even if that of the old world. In 2013, he bought the prestigious Washington Post for $ 250 million – a bargain price almost compared to the billions Musk would pay for Twitter. Just as Musk now states that the acquisition of Twitter is intended to promote freedom of expression, Bezos has also stated over the years that holding it in the post contributes to American democracy.
But in both cases, of Bezos and Musk, this combination of economic power and the acquisition of media power raises concerns. As Bezos himself stressed, the fact that people with so many economic interests are taking control of a newspaper or social network is a cause for concern. As Bezos himself identified in a commentary on his opponent Musk, owning a powerful media body can easily become a tool that will serve the rest of the tycoon’s other business.
People like Bezos and Musk have not become rich in the world because of their noble views and concern for the common good. They came to this mainly because of their desire to win always and at all costs. This is a very important feature in business, but when you add media tools to it it can be a problem for all of us. In the name of the desire to win, how can we be sure that Twitter will not become another tool to help Musk in his many wars and struggles.
A good deal for freedom of expression?
The combination of many economic interests and ownership of entities that influence public opinion is dangerous. We know this from both Israel and the United States. It is especially dangerous when it is done in the dark. Therefore, no less than the acquisition of Twitter by Musk, the transformation of the important social network from a public to a private company is also troubling.
It is no coincidence that in recent days many veteran tweeters have said that they are trying to think of which platform one can move on to. They probably will not pass but that does not mean that despite Musk’s statements, buying Twitter will really be good for freedom of expression and in general.