SpaceX CEO Elon Musk asked Twitter users about the social media platform’s approach to free speech.
He tweeted, “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.”
Musk then asked, “Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?”
As of 3 p.m. EST, 30.3% said yes while 69.7% said no.
Musk added, “The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.”
The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022
His poll comes just a day after he asked Twitter users whether the platform’s algorithm “should be open source.”
More than 80% said yes. Only 17.3% said no.
Twitter algorithm should be open source
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2022
Earlier this week, a Securities and Exchange Commission regulator called on a federal judge to keep Musk locked into an agreement that requires his use of the platform to be monitored, as The Hill reported.
The outlet noted Tesla and the commission in 2018 settled a lawsuit after Musk was accused of issuing a tweet that misled investors.
“When it comes to civil settlements, a deal is a deal, absent far more compelling circumstances than are here presented,” the commission said.
It added, “Musk complains about ‘the sheer number of demands’ by the SEC from 2018 to the present, which he characterizes as harassment.”
It continued, “But Musk’s own chronology of alleged demands is both underwhelming and reflects legitimate inquiries as to new potentially violative conduct by Tesla and Musk.”
Musk claimed the Securities and Exchange Commission is “targeting” him and his company in a February letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan, as IJR reported.
“Simply stated, the SEC has failed to comply with its promise to pay Tesla’s shareholders the $40 million it collected as part of the settlement in these cases and that it purports to be holding for them,” Musk’s lawyer said in the letter.
The letter urged the court to “address why the SEC has failed to distribute these funds to shareholders but has chosen to spend its energy and resources investigating Mr. Musk’s and Tesla’s compliance with the consent decree by issuing subpoenas unilaterally, without Court approval.”
Musk’s lawyer suggested the commission is trying to “muzzle and harass Mr. Musk and Tesla, while ignoring its Court-ordered duty to remit the $40 million that it continues to hold while Tesla’s shareholders continue to wait.”
