Statement on Elon Musk’s Imperiled Twitter Acquisition

For Immediate Release
July 8, 2022
Contact: press@accountabletech.org

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill released the following statement in response to Elon Musk’s decision to terminate his acquisition agreement with Twitter:

“Elon Musk’s Twitter bid – fueled by the egocentric whims of the world’s richest man – has been fraught from the start. Musk has never cared about Twitter’s users or employees; he’s never cared about shareholders or advertisers; and he has certainly never cared about promoting the public good. Now, Musk and Twitter are headed towards a protracted legal battle – with the integrity of our online information ecosystem hanging in the balance.

“From the start, Musk has made it clear that his vision for Twitter would pose a dire threat to user safety and democratic ideals. That’s why Accountable Tech led the ‘Stop the Deal’ campaign with more than a dozen nonprofit partners – and it’s why we have fought tooth and nail to upend this agreement. Alongside Media Matters and UltraViolet, we pushed Twitter advertisers to take a stand; we called for a Congressional investigation into possible exploitation of internal data; and until it is no longer necessary, we will continue to pursue all financial and regulatory avenues to stop the acquisition.

“While the fallout from Musk’s latest move still unfolds, one thing is clear: this chaotic crusade is nothing short of a five-alarm fire drill. Our information ecosystem, safety, and democracy cannot remain at the whim of unaccountable billionaires – whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else.”

Since launching in early June, the “Stop the Deal” campaign has pursued a variety of tactics to upend Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. The nonprofit coalition argues that a Musk-owned Twitter would give a megaphone to extremists, threaten the safety of marginalized communities, and threaten our already-fraying information ecosystem. Learn more about the “Stop the Deal” campaign here.

Founding members of the #StopTheDeal coalition:

Accountable Tech
Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH)
Fair Vote UK
Friends of the Earth
GLAAD
Global Project Against Hate and Extremism
Media Matters for America
MediaJustice
MoveOn
Public Citizen
SumOfUs
The Sparrow Project
UltraViolet

###

Statements

Oct 29, 2024

One Week from Election Day, Accountable Tech Condemns Meta for Facilitating Anti-Government Militia Organizing on Facebook

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill released the following statement after new reporting found that Facebook is failing to shut down anti-government militia activity on its platform – and is even auto-generating group pages – in the lead-up to Election Day:

Statements

Oct 03, 2024

Accountable Tech on Injunction Against California Anti-Deepfakes Law

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez’s ruling to pause enforcement of AB 2389, a California law recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to prevent the distribution of deepfakes made about political candidates within a certain proximity to an election: