MSNBC calls for boycott of social media platform X, contributor calls for Elon Musk's prosecution

MSNBC has called for a boycott against the social media platform X, claiming that its owner, Elon Musk, has pushed misinformation relating to the upcoming election.

An opinion piece published by MSNBC calling for the boycott cited a recent report by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate which claimed to have identified 50 instances where Musk posted false claims about the election. The MSNBC piece also accused Musk of amplifying conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism.

"If every moderate-to-liberal human and organization stopped using the site, that might pressure Musk or his board of directors to stop weaponizing it," the opinion, written by journalist Jay Michaelson, argued.

"It isn’t even a boycott. Leaving X isn’t like boycotting Coors because it’s too right-wing or Bud Light because it’s too left-wing. Those boycotts are fine — that’s part of capitalism too — but X is different in kind. Because unlike beer, the X product itself is the problem," Michaelson added.

A recent guest on MSNBC also commented on claims that Musk has pushed misinformation on the platform, suggesting that he should be prosecuted over his exercise of free speech rights on X. Businessman and investor Roger McNamee, appearing on MSNBC’s "The Last Word," argued that there could be a legal case against Musk due to his statements on social media.

“Like any American, he has a right to his own opinion and he has a right to express his opinion. However, that right is not unlimited,” McNamee stated. He went on to note that Musk has "special limitations that wouldn’t apply to normal people” because his companies, specifically Starlink and SpaceX, are government contractors.

“He has obligations to the government, that would for any normal person and should for him, require him to moderate his speech in the interest of national security,” McNamee claimed.

“What you have is somebody who runs really strategic defense and aerospace projects for the federal government who’s actively undermining the government which is paying him,” McNamee continued. “Somewhere in there is a legal case that needs to be prosecuted.”

Since acquiring X, Musk has committed to maintaining the platform as a space for free speech as long as it aligns with the law. The platform has also implemented a "community note" feature that allows users to fact-check and provide context to statements made.

Recently, Musk warned that freedom of speech "is under massive attack around the world" as his platform continues to face threats from various national governments. Brazil, for example, has banned the platform entirely from the country and is imposing strict fines on users who access it by using a VPN.