Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:ALLISON ROBBERT/POOL/AFP / Getty Images
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Image Credits:ALLISON ROBBERT/POOL/AFP / Getty Images
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
enterprisingness
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
widget
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
security measure
Social
blank space
inauguration
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
result
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
newssheet
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
The Onion , a satirical issue , succeed a failure auctionearlier this month to buy confederacy theorist Alex Jones ’ website , Infowars , and other related to assets . However , that sales agreement is now in limbo after a federal judge temporarily stop the deal .
On Monday , Elon Musk threw yet another wrench in the industrial plant , objecting to the transfer of Infowars ’ decade report to its new owners .
X Corporation broadly arrogate that it own all cristal write up on its platform , including those operated by Alex Jones and Infowars , according to anobjection filed on Mondayin bankruptcy court . Therefore , Elon Musk ’s platform argue The Onion can not purchase these chronicle from Jones or his company , Free Speech Systems , because they are not his to sell .
This is not the first time Musk has stepped in to defend Jones ’ societal medium presence . Back in 2023 , Elon Muskrestored the hug drug business relationship of Alex Jones and Infowars . These news report were “ for good banned ” by Twitter ’s previous leadership in 2018 , after their posts were institute to contain abusive content that violate the platform ’s rules . Musk said at the time he disagreed with Jones but wanted to regenerate his account in the name of “ devoid speech . ”
Musk ’s lawyers now exact that user do n’t really own their profiles on the conjecture “ free speech political program . ”
“ The ‘ sale ’ of the X Accounts as the Trustee request would be a wrongful transport of the license to use X Corp. ’s Services . Such a sales event would plainly violate X Corp. ’s TOS and its ownership right field , ” said lawyer stand for X in the filing . “ In other words , the Trustee is seeking to betray something that neither it , Free Speech Systems , nor Jones owns or has any legal pastime in . ”
This legal filing distinctly states that X Corp does not object to the overall sale of Free Speech Systems to The Onion , but strictly the X account . The score named in the grammatical case are @infowars , @BANNEDdotVIDEO , @WarRoomShow , and @RealAlexJones .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Musk ’s societal media political platform take that its terms of service makes clear these accounts are the “ exclusive property ” of X Corporation . InSection 4 , the company does in fact say it is giving all users a “ licence ” to practice their go accounts . However , user can not deal or reassign this licence without X ’s explicit consent .
Jones declared failure after he was rank to pay nearly $ 1.5 billion to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown , Connecticut . He was ordered to paydamages for slander after repeatedly spreading liesthat the 2012 shooting , which killed 20 first grader and six educators , was a hoax staged by actors to increase artillery control .
While Musk agitate the transfer of these X accounts , federal bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez tell on Monday that he mayhold an evidential hearing next monthto decide whether The onion plant should be permit to buy Alex Jones ’ spiritualist company .
in the end , Lopez could let The Onion to move forward with the purchase , order a Modern auction , or name another bidder as the winner .