Elon Musk’s X bans revealing the names of anonymous users
Elon Musk’s X changed its privacy policy this week to ban users from publishing the real names of people behind anonymous accounts after some users appeared to unmask a pseudonymous cartoonist who drew antisemitic images.
Elon Musk’s X changed its privacy policy this week to ban users from publishing the real names of people behind anonymous accounts after some users appeared to unmask a pseudonymous cartoonist who drew antisemitic images.
The social media platform updated its privacy policy to say people “cannot share … the identity of an anonymous user, such as their name or media depicting them,” without that person’s permission. The company said it was doing so to maintain a safe and secure platform.
X users expressed mixed feelings about the change, because the catalyst appeared to be someone involved in antisemitism, but, depending on how it is applied, it could benefit other people, such as anonymous dissidents in repressive countries.
The policy change added to what some X users and critics have said is a growing list of examples of Musk going out of his way to defend neo-Nazis, antisemites and white supremacists. Musk has embraced an antisemitic conspiracy theory, and, since he bought the app then known as Twitter in 2022, he has welcomed back antisemitic accounts that Twitter’s previous management had suspended for breaking its rules. Musk has also second-guessed law enforcement officials after they said a mass shooter was a suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer.
The policy also clashes with Musk’s ongoing claims that X is dedicated to free speech, because journalists have a long history of unmasking powerful people who avoid public scrutiny. Since he bought the platform, Musk has suspended journalists and filed lawsuits targeting his critics while continuing to state that X is a bulwark against censorship.
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