X CEO Elon Musk and the Irish government are on a collision course over the proposed Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022, which seeks to combat online “disinformation” and hate speech. Musk, who purchased Twitter to enhance free speech, fears his business model is under threat from the Irish government’s actions.
The bill has garnered controversy for its broad definition of “hatred” and for placing the burden of proof on the accused to demonstrate they did not intend to distribute hateful material publicly. Critics argue that this goes against Ireland’s common-law tradition of innocent until proven guilty.
The people of Ireland are standing up for themselves!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2024
Ireland’s Justice Minister Helen McEntee is determined to see the legislation pass, despite facing domestic and international opposition. The recent Dublin riots have provided renewed impetus for the government to crack down on online hate speech.
Musk has responded to the developments with thinly veiled threats, accusing Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar of “hating the Irish people” and threatening to release the Irish Twitter Files. The X CEO’s concerns are not unfounded, as Ireland is home to the European headquarters of several tech giants and the Irish Data Protection Commission is the main European regulator for these companies.
WATCH: Protests break out in Dublin, Ireland against mass immigration.
"The people of Ireland are standing up for themselves!" – Elon Musk
Western nations seem to be waking up to the reality of unfettered, mass immigration.
Recent polling in the U.S. shows that over 50% of… pic.twitter.com/5im9dEcx0M
— The American Tribune (@TAmTrib) May 6, 2024
The outcome of this battle could have global ramifications, as EU-backed hate speech rules enforced by Ireland could potentially leak into the terms of service of social media platforms worldwide.
