Musk Promises X Will Foot Legal Fees If Posts Trigger ‘Unfair’ Treatment At Work
Photo 285056469 © Peter KováÄ | Dreamstime.com
Twitter—or X, as it’s now called—joins a curious wave of tech companies (including Adobe and Shutterstock) who have recently offered to cover legal charges for users. Only this time, it’s unclear if the new “everything app” will keep its word.
On Saturday night, the social network’s owner Elon Musk declared that X would indemnify users who have been “unfairly treated” by their employers for “posting or liking something on this platform.”
Musk claimed there was “no limit” to the company’s protection, and that affected users should “please let us know” so their legal fees would be accounted for.
As Forbes points out, however, Musk’s post was vague and did not disclose eligibility details or how users could reach out for assistance. There are no updates to Twitter’s policy addressing this coverage, either.
If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2023
No limit.
Please let us know.
As there’s a good chance the statement was merely a late-night rant, zealous users should take it with the lightest grain of salt until a blueprint is cemented.
The announcement is an extension of the “freedom of speech” stance that Musk had promoted when he purchased the company for US$44 billion.
With that said, the company has been chastised for purportedly practicing double standards with how it defines free speech. As the new Twitter boss, Musk had infamously dismissed employees for criticizing him online.
You sure? pic.twitter.com/ThimLR3nRp
— Pupsker (@Pupsker) August 6, 2023
Whether those laid-off Twitter workers will be entitled to the “no-limit” legal fees offered by Musk, especially since their posts had cost them their jobs, remains up in the air.
Most recently, X filed a lawsuit against an anti-hate speech organization for its studies of disinformation on the website. Accordingly, Musk’s lawyer accused the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) of making “troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm Twitter generally, and its digital advertising business specifically.”
Elon Musk's latest legal move against CCDH is a brazen attempt to try to hide the truth about his own failures.
— Center for Countering Digital Hate (@CCDHate) August 2, 2023
We stand by our research. Billionaires can't bully us.
Read more about #MuskMeltdown in @FRANCE24 👇 https://t.co/BUSBsY1Zfl
[via Forbes and Euronews, cover photo 285056469 © Peter KováÄ | Dreamstime.com]
