Elon Musk Says He Owns Everyone's Twitter Account in Bizarre Alex Jones Court Filing
Elon Musk Says He Owns Everyone's Twitter Account in Bizarre Alex Jones Court Filing

Elon Musk Says He Owns Everyone's Twitter Account in Bizarre Alex Jones Court Filing

Summary
Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has filed a court motion claiming ownership of all X accounts, arguing they cannot be transferred, in an effort to block The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, Alex Jones’s conspiracy outlet.
The sale was part of a $1.4 billion judgment against Jones for defaming Sandy Hook families.
X’s filing asserts that users only hold a non-transferable license to their accounts, despite Musk’s prior actions threatening to reassign handles.
Critics view Musk’s move as aiding far-right figures like Jones and aligning with his MAGA agenda.
I just need someone to explain to me how this doesn't mean he's liable for anything posted on every account. If he has ownership of the account then the liability rest with him. So the meteoric rise of child pornography on Twitter would seem to indicate to me at least that Elon Musk is liable for child pornography. Not to mention hate speech and credible threats.
He didn't think that far ahead.
He didn't think
I believe the argument being used is roughly analogous to lending something to someone.
If you borrow a lawnmower, it doesn't get auctioned off when you go bankrupt. You get to use it however you like and if you commit a crime with it you're responsible. It's still ultimately owned by the person who leant it to you.
Doesn't it expose them to at least a little bit of liability? Especially if they loaned it out to a child or something.
Rich people aren’t liable for their actions.
They don't get arrested or charged, they get letters from the DoJ asking them to stop please.
The same provisions that protect internet providers when subscribers use their service to break the law, probably. As long as they pretend to be a communications provider and self-regulate, they're shielded from liability.
In this case, the account/handle could be argued to be equivalent to an IP address, which is something owned by the provider and not the user. If Felon Musk tried to claim copyright of user-submitted content as well as their accounts, that would be what opens up a large can of liability worms (by turning them into a publisher).
The problem with citing those Provisions is those companies have never claimed direct ownership of said accounts. This is an entirely new legal argument.