Musk May Be About To Go To War With Disney
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is promising his support to those punished for their online views. The icon of the tech world says he will "fund legal bills" for those unfairly treated by employers due to their posts and "likes" on social media.
This comes at a time when companies are facing higher levels of scrutiny over how they handle employees' social media activity - and the consequences of expressing unpopular views.
The death of George Floyd sparked protests and uprisings nationwide which also resulted in the punishment of NASCAR driver Noah Gragson for "liking" a meme related to the incident.
NASCAR’s Noah Gragson suspended after reportedly liking George Floyd meme https://t.co/XTow5f0duW pic.twitter.com/Xsxrxv3B65
— New York Post (@nypost) August 5, 2023
The issue of corporate "cancellation" on social media gained prominence years earlier with the case of Justine Sacco - who was terminated for a tweet about race.
Musk is looking to battle on behalf of those who have been wronged. He took to the platform with the following message:
"If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill. No limit. Please let us know… and we won’t just sue, it will be extremely loud and we will go after the boards of directors of the companies too.”
If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill.
No limit.
Please let us know.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2023
The issue of corporate "cancellation" is of particular relevance to actress Gina Carano. The former star of Disney+'s "The Mandalorian" was fired over her openly conservative views on social media. Dialogue which compared current social issues to elements of pre-WWII Nazi Germany. It is worth noting that "The Mandalorian" co-star Pedro Pascal also made Nazi comparisons - but kept his job.
One of the most common denominators in cases of corporate "cancellation" is the political orientation of the target of the discarded content. Companies often ignore hateful comments when the target is of the conservative persuasion.
This issue was highlighted in the movie site MovieWeb when Bette Midler, employed by Disney+, continued to express her virulently anti-Republican sentiment with no consequences.
It is worth noting that social media giants often skew towards liberal views when choosing how to handle incidents like this - and Elon Muskwell's support may be needed to even the scales. He may, however, find it difficult to keep his promise.
Gina Carano's case would make a good place for the tech mogul to start, though it may not have a legal reprisal. This could serve as a reminder to companies who are tempted to fire employees over their social media views.
I think I qualify. ☺️ https://t.co/t2MryUFLtS
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) August 6, 2023
As the issue of corporate "cancellation" continues to be a talking point in the nation, it's encouraging to see influential members of the tech world willing to fight for those who can't make a stand alone.