[Elon Musk’s X Intervenes in Infowars Bankruptcy Sale
Elon Musk’s X is intervening in the bankruptcy sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars, marking the first time a social media platform has stepped in to a legal dispute over account ownership. Jones’ Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, was recently auctioned off to help pay some of the nearly $1.5 billion Jones owes the families of Sandy Hook massacre victims after he was found guilty of defamation.
The sale includes Infowars’ website, studio equipment, online dietary supplement store, and social media accounts, which are followed by millions of users. X is objecting to Jones and Infowars’ X accounts being part of the sale, citing its terms of service that make it clear accounts cannot be sold and are ultimately owned by X.
Toby Butterfield, who teaches social media law at Columbia University’s Law School, says this is the first time a social media platform has argued to a court that no one can transfer ownership during a dispute over who owns an account. Eric Goldman, an associate dean and professor of tech law at Santa Clara University School of Law, notes that social media services usually enforce their terms of service quietly and do not step in to public court battles.
Jones praised Musk, saying “Elon Musk, hands down, is a hero” for intervening in his case, while others see Musk’s actions as an attempt to set a new legal precedent in a high-profile case involving well-known X accounts. By intervening, X is further showing how the platform is ultimately Musk’s domain, where he can do as he pleases.
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