Starlink Watch

The Musk tracker

Elon Musk and governments worldwide

A sourced record of 212 statements and actions by Elon Musk and his companies since 2022: interventions in the politics, governments, courts and regulation of 43 countries and the European Union, threats and legal action against critics, and the use of market power against competitors. Each entry sets out what he said or did, the background, the response and what happened next.

Compiled by Starlink Watch editors · Updated

212entries
44countries and the EU
147with an official response
35with a fact-check or court finding
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Musk in the news

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The latest news reports that mention Musk, newest first. They are news coverage, not tracker entries.

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212 entries

2026 68

Elections

Trump day 641: Musk restores Starlink speed after Trump's phone call, Attorney General sees scenarios in which the Ministry intervenes in election results, ICE wants to light up for detainees 24/7, Trump supports attack video on Democrate raped as a child, B

Reporters Online reported: “Trump day 641: Musk restores Starlink speed after Trump's phone call, Attorney General sees scenarios in which the Ministry intervenes in election results, ICE wants to light up for detainees 24/7, Trump supports attack video on De…

Belgium1 sources
Attacks on officialsPost

Musk says 'oligarchs' are blocking Starlink in India; government calls bias claims 'baseless'

Musk wrote Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs and This is a crime against the people of India! A follow-up post asked Is Ambani the real boss of India?

Response: The Ministry of Communications said India has a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework, that security assessments are under way for all three licensed satellite operators, and that cla…

India3 sources
ThreatsPost

Musk's lawyer sends defamation notice over Alex Gibney documentary; Musk calls film a 'hit piece'

Musk's attorney Alex Spiro sent Jigsaw Productions a letter dated 3 September warning that Alex Gibney's documentary Musk defames him and ordering preservation of footage, transcripts, research files and internal communications. The letter also named HBO, B…

Response: Jigsaw said its right to engage in open debate and fact-based examinations of powerful public figures is protected by the First Amendment, and that Musk's associates, who have called themselves "fr…

United States3 sources
Elections

Musk's America PAC re-enters politics with spending for Republicans in 2026 midterm races

America PAC reported more than $800,000 in spending supporting Republicans in over a dozen competitive Senate and House races, its first 2026-cycle spending, after reports that Musk authorised $100–120 million for midterm turnout efforts (Reuters; The Nationa…

Response: Rachel Petri, campaign manager for Democrat Chris Pappas, said MAGA Republicans like Elon Musk are trying to buy this Senate seat for John Sununu (Reuters).

United States2 sources
Elections

Musk calls Marine Le Pen 'France's last hope' ahead of the 2027 election

Replying to a post claiming voting intentions for Marine Le Pen had skyrocketed, Musk wrote on X: She is France's last hope.

Response: Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot replied on X: Like we say in French: Only fools never change their minds. Former European Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote: "The season of interference is beginni…

France2 sources
Regulators and courts

Judge approves $1.5 million SEC settlement over Musk's Twitter stake disclosure despite 'misgivings'

Musk resolved the SEC's Twitter disclosure suit through a settlement under which a revocable trust in his name pays a $1.5 million civil penalty; the SEC dropped its claims against Musk personally and its demand for about $150 million in disgorgement.

Response: Judge Sooknanan approved the deal despite its significant misgivings, writing that the SEC's decisions raise red flags but the court may not step in the shoes of the SEC (Bloomberg).

United States2 sources
Regulators and courts

Musk calls South Africa's B-BBEE rules 'extremely racist'; Ramaphosa says 'Our laws are not racist'

In an exchange on X with foreign ministry official Clayson Monyela, Musk called B-BBEE extremely racist and wrote: Racism should not be rewarded, no matter to which race it is applied. He alleged Starlink had been denied a licence because he is not Black…

Response: President Ramaphosa said: Our laws are not racist. They are empowerment laws meant to uplift people who were discriminated against, and called singling out BEE laws quite dishonest.

South Africa4 sources
Regulators and courts

Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines temporarily block X's Grok over sexualised AI images

Indonesia temporarily blocked the Grok chatbot, followed by Malaysia the next day and the Philippines on 16 January, citing sexualised deepfake images generated from real photos.

Response: AP reported that requests for comment to xAI received an automated reply reading Legacy Media Lies. Malaysia's regulator said X's replies relied mainly on user reporting.

IndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippines3 sources
Regulators and courts

Amid Grok deepfake row, Musk asks 'Why is the UK government so fascist?' as Ofcom investigates X

As ministers threatened action over sexualised images generated with X's Grok AI, Musk wrote They want any excuse for censorship and Why is the UK government so fascist?

Response: Technology Secretary Liz Kendall called the images despicable and abhorrent and backed Ofcom's powers; Starmer told a meeting of Labour MPs If X cannot control Grok, we will (Express & Star). Ofc…

United Kingdom5 sources
Attacks on officials

Musk replies '¿Plata o plomo?' to Colombian President Petro's criticism of US operation in Venezuela

After Gustavo Petro criticised the US operation that captured Maduro, Musk replied ¿Plata o plomo? (silver or lead?) with a photo of the detained Maduro released by the White House (NTN24).

Response: Petro replied: Señor Elon, eso no contesta a mi pregunta, No doy plomo ni tengo plata. He added that love and freedom make a better humanity possible (NTN24, Vanguardia).

ColombiaVenezuela2 sources

2025 59

Regulators and courts

After €120m DSA fine on X, Musk says the EU 'should be abolished'

After the European Commission fined X, Musk wrote that The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries and described it as a tyrannical, unelected bureaucracy. He also reposted an image equating the EU flag with a Nazi flag.

Response: Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said such practices have no place online in the EU; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the fine an attack on American platforms.

European Union2 sources
Power and conflicts

Sen. Warren questions Pentagon's $200m xAI award; Pentagon later moves to put Grok on its networks

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth questioning a $200 million Pentagon agreement with Musk's xAI, one of four such awards announced in July 2025, and asked whether officials discussed it with Musk while he was a special government e…

Response: A Pentagon spokesperson said the department responds directly to the author; xAI did not respond (DefenseScoop).

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

FCC ends EchoStar probe after spectrum sale to SpaceX, following Trump intervention reported by Bloomberg

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr closed investigations into EchoStar's spectrum licences on the day EchoStar announced it would sell AWS-4 and satellite spectrum to SpaceX for about $17 billion, half in cash and half in stock (Broadband Breakfast).

Response: An FCC spokesperson said the deals hold the potential to supercharge competition (Broadband Breakfast). A Wall Street Journal editorial later wrote: "President Trump prodded Chairman Carr to let Er…

United States5 sources
Market power

X and xAI sue Apple and OpenAI alleging collusion against Grok in App Store; Apple claims later dropped

X and xAI sued Apple and OpenAI in federal court in Texas, alleging that their ChatGPT partnership locked up markets to protect their monopolies, that Apple deprioritised rival AI apps in App Store rankings and that it slowed reviews of Grok updates. They sou…

Response: OpenAI said the filing was consistent with Mr. Musk's ongoing pattern of harassment. Sam Altman had earlier asked Musk to sign an affidavit that he had never directed changes to X's algorithm to hu…

United States5 sources
Regulators and courts

X reaches settlements with laid-off staff and ex-executives who said Musk denied promised severance

X disclosed a tentative settlement of a proposed class action by former employees claiming $500 million in unpaid severance after Musk's 2022 layoffs of about 6,000 people. In early October 2025 it also settled a $128 million suit by ex-CEO Parag Agrawal and…

Response: Musk and X denied wrongdoing and said the executives were fired over their performance.

United States3 sources
Elections

Musk declares formation of the 'America Party' after Trump signs tax and spending law

Musk posted that When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy and Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom, following an X poll on whether to create a party.

Response: Trump said I think it's ridiculous to start a third party and Third parties have never worked; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Musk's company boards did not like this announcement (Reuter…

United States3 sources
Attacks on officials

Musk posts that Trump is 'in the Epstein files', then deletes it

During a public feud, Musk posted Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files, offering no evidence, and replied Yes to a post calling for Trump's impeachment and replacement by JD Vance.

Response: Trump said the easiest way to save money would be to terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts. The White House declined to comment (ABC News).

United States4 sources
Attacks on officialsPost

Musk calls Trump-backed spending bill a 'disgusting abomination' days after leaving government

Musk posted that the massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination and wrote Shame on those who voted for it.

Response: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill and that it did not change his opinion (TheWrap); Speaker Mike Johnson said "my friend Elon is t…

United States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Musk announces end of his special government employee role and leaves DOGE

Musk posted: As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump, and said DOGE's mission would continue (ABC News). Trump held an Oval Office farewell on 30 May.

Response: Trump said Elon's really not leaving. He's going to be back and forth, I think; Musk said This is not the end of DOGE, but really at the beginning (Al Jazeera).

United States2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk attends Oval Office meeting where Trump confronts Ramaphosa with 'white genocide' claims

Musk was present but did not speak publicly as President Trump played videos and showed articles he said proved white farmers were being killed. Trump said Elon wanted Afrikaners admitted to the US as refugees.

Response: Ramaphosa said the videos did not reflect government policy, that There is criminality in our country, and asked where an alleged burial site was located.

South Africa4 sources
Power and conflicts

ProPublica reports US ambassador raised aid while pressing Gambia to approve Starlink

ProPublica reported that US Ambassador Sharon Cromer raised US aid, including a $25 million electrical project under review, while meeting Gambia's communications ministry about Starlink's licence, and later wrote to the president urging him to "facilitate…

Response: The State Department said Starlink has been a game changer and Any patriotic American should want to see an American company's success on the global stage; White House spokesman Harrison Fields s…

GambiaUnited States2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk's Grok chatbot inserts South African 'white genocide' claims into unrelated replies

xAI's Grok chatbot repeatedly brought up white genocide in South Africa in replies to unrelated questions on X. xAI said an employee's unauthorized modification had directed it to give a specific response on a political topic, violating company policies.

Response: xAI said it would publish Grok's system prompts, change review processes and set up a 24/7 monitoring team (AFP via JusticeInfo.net).

South Africa4 sources
Power and conflicts

Cables show State Department pushed countries facing US tariffs to approve Starlink, Washington Post reports

The Washington Post reported that State Department cables showed US embassies pressing countries to clear regulatory hurdles for satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio increasingly instructed official…

Response: The State Department said Every patriotic American should want to see American companies succeed on the world stage, referring to weaker Chinese competitors (Washington Post).

LesothoIndiaUnited States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Senate subcommittee Democrats estimate Musk firms faced $2.37bn in federal liabilities when DOGE began

Democratic staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, released a memo estimating that Musk and his companies faced at least $2.37 billion in potential liability from 65 actual or potential federal actions as…

Response: The White House said any assertion otherwise is completely false and defamatory; communications director Steven Cheung attributed the report to Trump Derangement Syndrome (CNBC). Blumenthal sent…

United States2 sources
Power and conflictsPost

Reuters reports SpaceX is frontrunner for Golden Dome missile shield; Musk denies bidding

Reuters, citing six people, reported that SpaceX with Palantir and Anduril was a frontrunner for key parts of Trump's Golden Dome missile-defence shield, proposing 400 to more than 1,000 sensing satellites under a subscription service model.

Response: Musk posted SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard and, of the report, This is not true (Fortune). SpaceX declined to comment on Musk's involvement (Reuters). Sen. Elizabeth…

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

Lesotho grants Starlink a 10-year licence weeks after a 50% US tariff announcement

The Lesotho Communications Authority granted Starlink Lesotho a 10-year licence, calling it a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation (Business Day). Bloomberg reported the move came as Lesotho sought to improve ties with the US.

Response: Civil society group Section 2 said the regulator disregarded local objections that Starlink Lesotho was 100% foreign-owned (Business Day).

LesothoUnited States3 sources
Market power

OpenAI countersues Musk, alleging a campaign of harassment including a sham bid to harm a competitor

OpenAI filed counterclaims in Musk's lawsuit, alleging he has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI, citing public attacks on X, legal claims, a pretextual demand for corporate records and a sham bid for OpenAI's assets. Reuters reported it asked th…

Response: OpenAI posted that Elon's nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI. The reports reviewed did not include a response from Musk.

United States3 sources
Elections

Musk hands out $1 million cheques in Wisconsin before state Supreme Court election

At a Green Bay rally two days before the 1 April election, Musk gave $1 million cheques to two voters and called the race important for the future of civilization; he and groups he backed spent more than $20 million supporting conservative Brad Schimel.

Response: Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul argued the payments broke a state law against offering anything of value to induce voting; the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously declined to hear the challenge…

United States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Bangladesh approves Starlink after Yunus–Musk call; Yunus cites launch in letter seeking tariff delay

Bangladesh's investment authority said the government approved Starlink on 28 March 2025, after interim leader Muhammad Yunus and Musk spoke in February about bringing the service to the country (AFP). On 7 April Yunus wrote to Trump asking for a tariff delay…

Response: ISP Association president Mohammad Aminul Hakim said With Starlink, none of [the] regular procedures have been followed; Starlink and the Bangladeshi government did not respond to Rest of World's q…

BangladeshUnited States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Vietnam approves five-year Starlink pilot without foreign-ownership limits amid US tariff risk

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung signed a decision allowing SpaceX to pilot Starlink in Vietnam until no later than 1 January 2031, capped at 600,000 subscribers and with no foreign-ownership restrictions (VnEconomy).

Response: Deputy telecoms authority head Nguyen Anh Cuong said Starlink, if licensed, can operate like other telcos in the country (Bangkok Post).

VietnamUnited States3 sources
Power and conflicts

Report that Musk would be briefed on China war plans prompts denials; Musk visits Pentagon

The New York Times reported, citing two US officials, that Musk would receive a Pentagon briefing on military plans for a possible war with China. Musk met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon the next day (NBC News; Axios).

Response: Trump called it such a fake story and said China will not even be mentioned or discussed; he also said Musk would be susceptible, perhaps because Elon has businesses in China. Hegseth said "T…

United StatesChina2 sources
Power and conflicts

White House confirms Starlink used for Wi-Fi on the complex; later report details security concerns

The New York Times reported that Starlink service had been added to the White House complex's internet; press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House was working to improve WiFi connectivity on the complex (NBC News). In June the Washington Post rep…

Response: Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency was aware of DOGE's plans and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach (Washington Post via Fortune). Democrati…

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

Trump showcases Tesla cars on White House lawn; Commerce Secretary later urges viewers to 'Buy Tesla'

President Trump and Musk presented Tesla vehicles on the White House South Lawn, and Trump said he would buy one. Days later Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News viewers: It will never be this cheap. Buy Tesla (KTVU).

Response: Former prosecutor Hui Chen said This is just not done; CREW's Jordan Libowitz said Saying 'buy the stock' is something we can't think of ever seeing before (CNN). The Campaign Legal Center asked…

United States2 sources
Threats

Media Matters sues X to halt its suits in Ireland and Singapore, says litigation forced layoffs

Media Matters sued X in San Francisco, calling X's suits in Texas, Ireland (filed December 2023) and Singapore (July 2024) a vendetta-driven campaign of libel tourism and arguing X's own terms required cases to be filed in San Francisco. Twitter UK had also…

Response: X had since amended its terms of service to require disputes to be filed in the Northern District of Texas. Media Matters left X in January 2026, objecting to new terms it said attempted to apply ret…

United StatesIrelandSingaporeUnited Kingdom4 sources
LeveragePost

Musk tells Polish FM Sikorski 'Be quiet, small man' in dispute over Starlink in Ukraine

After Musk said Starlink was the backbone of Ukraine's army, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski noted Poland pays about $50m a year for the terminals and might seek other suppliers. Musk replied: Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost.

Response: PM Donald Tusk wrote: True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance.

Poland3 sources
Elections

Musk calls Romania's barring of Călin Georgescu from presidential rerun 'crazy'

After Romania's Central Electoral Bureau rejected Georgescu's candidacy for the May 2025 rerun, Musk posted This is crazy! and This is madness; the next day he asked how a judge could put an end to democracy in Romania.

Response: Bucharest's Gendarmerie said officers used tear gas after protesters tried to force their way into the bureau and called the gathering unauthorised (Radio Moldova).

Romania3 sources
Leverage

Musk says Ukraine's front line 'would collapse if I turned it off'; clashes with Polish foreign minister

Musk wrote: My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off. After Poland's foreign minister Radosław Sikorski responded, Musk replied: Be quiet, small man.

Response: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote: "True leadership means respect for partners and…

Ukraine3 sources
Regulators and courts

X challenges India's content-blocking process and Sahyog portal in Karnataka High Court

X Corp filed a writ petition arguing that the government's use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act created an unlawful parallel blocking system bypassing Section 69A, and called the Sahyog portal a censorship tool.

Response: The government argued Section 79(3)(b) is valid, that safe harbour is conditional on acting on notices, and that as a US company X cannot invoke Article 19 free speech rights.

India3 sources
Power and conflicts

Musk says FAA communications system is failing as FAA tests Starlink terminals

Musk posted that The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly and that the FAA assessed single digit months to catastrophic failure; the FAA confirmed it was testing Starlink terminals (CNN). The Washington Post ha…

Response: SpaceX said Recent media reports about SpaceX and the FAA are false and that there was no effort or intent for Starlink to 'take over' any existing contract, describing a no-cost lease of Starlin…

United States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Musk says federal workers who do not report their weekly accomplishments will be treated as resigning

Musk posted that, Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions, all federal employees would receive an email and that failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. OPM then sent an email titled What did you do last week? asking for "ap…

Response: FBI Director Kash Patel told staff For now, please pause any responses; the State Department said it would respond on the department's behalf (CNN). AFGE president Everett Kelley vowed to challenge…

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

DOGE-era job cuts reported to fall heavily on NHTSA, the regulator investigating Tesla

The Washington Post reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would lose 70 to 80 staff, about 10% of its workforce, and that a small office overseeing self-driving vehicle safety lost three of roughly seven people.

Response: NHTSA called the cuts modest and said it would enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment (AP via Fortune). Tesla and DOGE did not respond to the Washington Post.

United States2 sources
Threats

Musk says CBS '60 Minutes' staff 'deserve a long prison sentence' after USAID segment

After 60 Minutes aired a segment critical of the USAID funding cuts Musk was leading through DOGE, he replied to the programme's post: "60 Minutes are the biggest liars in the world! They engaged in deliberate deception to interfere with the last election. Th…

Response: CBS had said the released materials confirmed the broadcast was not doctored or deceitful. No CBS response to Musk's post was reported.

United States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Modi meets Musk in Washington during US visit as Starlink awaits Indian licence

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Musk in Washington before his talks with President Trump; India's foreign ministry said they discussed strengthening collaboration in areas including innovation and space exploration. Musk was then leading DOGE, while S…

Response: Asked whether Musk met Modi as a private citizen or a government official, Trump said I don't know, adding I assume he wants to do business in India, and said Musk would not be allowed to do anyt…

IndiaUnited States5 sources
Disputed claims

Musk says Social Security records include people '150 years old'; SSA and fact-checkers say few are paid

In the Oval Office on 11 February Musk said DOGE had found people in there that are 150 years old in Social Security data; on 16 February he posted a table of people in each age bracket with the death field set to false, and the next day posted "Maybe Twili…

Response: Acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek said These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits (FactCheck.org; CBS News).

United States3 sources
Market power

Musk-led group offers $97.4bn for OpenAI; board rejects it as an attempt to 'disrupt his competition'

A consortium led by Musk made an unsolicited $97.4 billion offer to buy OpenAI and return it to an open-source, safety-focused force, while Musk's xAI competed with OpenAI and his lawsuit against it was pending.

Response: Sam Altman replied no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want. Board chair Bret Taylor said OpenAI is not for sale and that the board had "unanimously rejected Mr. Musk's…

United States2 sources
Attacks on officialsPost

Musk calls for impeachment of judge who blocked DOGE access to Treasury payment systems

After US District Judge Paul Engelmayer temporarily barred DOGE staff from Treasury payment systems, Musk called him A corrupt judge protecting corruption who needs to be impeached NOW!

Response: New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said What's shady is a tech billionaire breaking the law to try to steal millions of Americans' sensitive data (CNBC). On 18 March 2025 Chief Justice Joh…

United States2 sources
Power and conflicts

Federal judge temporarily bars DOGE from Treasury payment system after 19 states sue

US District Judge Paul Engelmayer temporarily restricted DOGE's access to the Treasury Department system that disburses tax refunds, Social Security benefits and federal salaries, and ordered anyone given access since 20 January to destroy downloaded informat…

Response: Musk wrote that DOGE and Treasury had jointly agreed on payment requirements and that It is ridiculous that these changes didn't exist already! The White House called the order "judicial overreac…

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

White House confirms Musk is serving as a 'special government employee' while running his companies

A White House official said Musk was working for President Trump as a special government employee, a status usually limited to 130 days a year that carries lighter financial-disclosure requirements than regular federal jobs. Musk had a government email addres…

Response: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk has abided by all applicable federal laws; Trump said Elon can't do and won't do anything without our approval (Fortune). The White House did not say wh…

United States2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk accuses South Africa of 'openly racist ownership laws' after Trump land-seizure claims

Musk wrote to President Ramaphosa on X: Why do you have openly racist ownership laws? following President Trump's claim that South Africa was confiscating land and his threat to cut funding.

Response: The Presidency said Ramaphosa spoke with Musk about issues of misinformation and distortions about South Africa. Ramaphosa said the government had not confiscated any land; the foreign ministry sai…

South Africa4 sources
Disputed claimsPost

Musk calls USAID a 'criminal organization' and amplifies disputed claim of condom funding for Gaza

Musk wrote that USAID was a criminal organization and that It needs to die, and said on an X livestream that DOGE was in the process of shutting it down (NPR). He also promoted a claim that the US had planned to spend $50 million on condoms for Gaza (CNN).

Response: Senator Chuck Schumer said dissolving USAID would be illegal and against our national interests (NPR).

United States3 sources
Elections

Musk addresses AfD campaign launch in Halle by video, says there is 'too much focus on past guilt'

Speaking by video link at the AfD's campaign launch in Halle, Musk called the party the best hope for Germany and said There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.

Response: Polish PM Donald Tusk said the words sounded all too familiar and ominous; Chancellor Scholz wrote that he agreed with Tusk; Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, said 'Nobody makes chil…

Germany3 sources
Elections

Musk praises Conservative leader Poilievre and mocks Trudeau after the PM announces resignation

Musk shared a video of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on government spending with the comment Perfectly articulated. CBC reported that Musk had repeatedly praised and reposted Poilievre and mocked Justin Trudeau, whom he had called "an insufferable to…

Response: Asked whether he accepted Musk's endorsement, Poilievre joked that his son wants to go to Mars and said he would like Musk to open factories in Canada.

Canada4 sources
Power and conflicts

Italy's reported €1.5bn talks with SpaceX for secure government communications draw opposition

Bloomberg reported that Italy was in advanced talks with SpaceX on a deal reportedly worth €1.5 billion over five years to provide encrypted telecommunications for the government and military and satellite services for emergencies. The report came days after…

Response: Meloni's office called reports linking the deal to the Trump visit ridiculous (Brussels Times). Meloni said: "I never talked about this with Musk. It's not my habit to use my public role to do favo…

Italy3 sources
Attacks on officials

Musk accuses Jess Phillips and Starmer over grooming gangs and calls for Tommy Robinson's release

In a burst of posts, Musk called safeguarding minister Jess Phillips a rape genocide apologist who deserves to be in prison, said Starmer was complicit in the rape of Britain, called for Starmer to be jailed and described jailed activist Tommy Robinson…

Response: Starmer said Those that are spreading lies and misinformation... are not interested in the victims; Health Secretary Wes Streeting called Musk's remarks about Phillips a disgraceful smear. Philli…

United Kingdom5 sources

2024 49

Elections

Musk op-ed in Welt am Sonntag calls AfD 'the last spark of hope' for Germany

In a guest article for Welt am Sonntag, Musk called the AfD the last spark of hope for this country and argued its portrayal as right-wing extremist was false.

Response: CDU leader Friedrich Merz called the intervention übergriffig und anmaßend (overbearing and presumptuous) and said he could recall no comparable interference in a friendly country's election campai…

Germany2 sources
Attacks on officials

After Magdeburg Christmas market attack, Musk calls on Scholz to resign

In a series of posts about the car-ramming attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, Musk wrote in German that Scholz should resign immediately, adding in English Incompetent fool. He also shared a post blaming the attack on mass immigration.

Response: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wrote on X that Musk should not interfere in our politics and that his platform profits from hate and incitement (Business Insider).

Germany2 sources
Attacks on officialsPost

Musk posts more than two dozen attacks on bipartisan stopgap spending bill, urging lawmakers who back it be voted out

In more than two dozen posts Musk wrote This bill should not pass, repeatedly called it criminal, wrote Johnson should be ashamed of himself. This is indefensible, and said lawmakers who voted for it should be voted out (Axios; CNN).

Response: Rep. Don Bacon said Musk should have gotten the facts; Johnson said he was texting with Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to explain the bill (CNN). President-elect Trump also came out against the bill (For…

United States3 sources
Power and conflicts

Musk and SpaceX reported to face three federal reviews over security reporting compliance

The New York Times reported that the Defense Department's Inspector General, the Air Force and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security had opened reviews into whether Musk and SpaceX complied with federal reporting rules for…

Response: Musk posted on X: Deep state traitors are coming after me, using their paid shills in legacy media (NYT via Boston Globe). The Pentagon Inspector General's office said it could "neither confirm nor…

United States2 sources
Elections

Musk meets Farage at Mar-a-Lago as Reform UK says a possible donation was discussed

Musk met Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and treasurer Nick Candy at Mar-a-Lago. Farage said Musk was giving serious thought to a donation and money was discussed; Musk replied Absolutely to Farage's post Britain needs Reform.

Response: The Prime Minister's spokesman said a large donation was a matter for the rules; minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the government was looking at strengthening rules on foreign donations.

United Kingdom2 sources
Elections

FEC filings show Musk spent at least $277 million backing Trump and Republicans in 2024

Federal Election Commission filings showed Musk gave about $239 million to his America PAC, which ran canvassing and turnout operations for Trump, and $20.5 million to RBG PAC, making him the largest donor of the 2024 cycle (CBS News).

Response: Clara Spera, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's granddaughter, called RBG PAC an affront to her grandmother's legacy (CBS News). Pennsylvania's attorney general received about 20 complaints about unsolicited $1…

United States3 sources
Market power

Musk adds antitrust claims against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeks to stop investors being asked to avoid xAI

Musk's lawyers expanded his federal suit to allege that OpenAI and Microsoft violated antitrust law, including by asking investors not to fund rivals such as Musk's xAI, which they called a group boycott. A motion filed 29 November sought a preliminary inju…

Response: OpenAI said: Elon's fourth attempt, which again recycles the same baseless complaints, continues to be utterly without merit. Microsoft declined to comment.

United States4 sources
Threats

Musk reposts names and titles of four federal climate officials, saying 'So many fake jobs'

Musk, then named by Trump to co-lead a government cost-cutting effort, reposted posts from an anonymous account listing the names and titles of four women in federal climate roles, commenting So many fake jobs on one. The posts drew tens of millions of view…

Response: AFGE union president Everett Kelley said: These tactics are aimed at sowing terror and fear at federal employees. X did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

United States2 sources
Disputed claims

Iran denies New York Times report that Musk met its UN ambassador

The New York Times reported that Musk met Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani in New York on 11 November 2024 to discuss easing tensions between Tehran and Washington, citing Iranian sources who called it positive.

Response: Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei categorically denied the meeting took place and called the reports false (IRNA, via The New Arab and Salon).

Iran2 sources
Disputed claims

Kremlin denies Wall Street Journal report of regular Musk–Putin contact since 2022

The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk and Vladimir Putin had been in regular contact since 2022, discussing personal, business and geopolitical matters, and that Putin asked Musk to avoid activating Starlink over Taiwan as a favour to Xi Jinping.

Response: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: It's all untrue, absolutely false information, acknowledging only one earlier phone call with Musk about space and technology.

Russia2 sources
Disputed claimsPost

Musk amplifies claim that Michigan has more registered voters than eligible citizens

Musk posted Michigan has more registered voters than eligible citizens!? Is that true @CommunityNotes? and later posted that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was lying to the public (CBS Detroit).

Response: Benson said Musk was spreading dangerous disinformation and was pushing a misleading number that includes 1.2 million inactive records slated for removal in accordance with the law (PolitiFact; C…

United States2 sources
Elections

Musk announces $1 million-a-day giveaway to swing-state voters who sign America PAC petition

At a Pennsylvania event, Musk said America PAC would award $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition every day until the election; eligibility was limited to registered voters in seven battleground states.

Response: The Justice Department's public integrity section warned America PAC the giveaway may violate federal law, according to people briefed on the matter (CNN). Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasne…

United States3 sources
Regulators and courts

SpaceX sues California Coastal Commission, alleging political bias against Musk in launch vote

SpaceX sued the California Coastal Commission after it voted 6-4 on 10 October 2024 against the Space Force's plan to raise SpaceX launches at Vandenberg from 36 to 50 a year, alleging overt, and shocking, political bias and violations of Musk's free-speech…

Response: The commission declined to comment on the lawsuit (CNN). In 2026 it said it continued to have serious concerns about the impacts to coastal resources from increased rocket launches at the base (Cou…

United States2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk says FEMA is blocking Hurricane Helene relief; FEMA, FAA and fact-checkers dispute it

Musk posted that FEMA is not merely failing to adequately help people in trouble, but is actively blocking citizens who try to help! and relayed claims that relief flights, including those carrying Starlink kits, were being blocked in North Carolina after H…

Response: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg replied: No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn't block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. FEMA said claims it was confiscating supplies wer…

United States2 sources
Regulators and courtsPost

Musk calls FAA's proposed SpaceX fines 'lawfare', says SpaceX will sue, then demands FAA chief resign

After the FAA proposed $633,009 in civil penalties against SpaceX, Musk called it More lawfare and wrote that SpaceX would sue the FAA for regulatory overreach. On 25 September he posted that FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker needs to resign.

Response: FAA Chief Counsel Marc Nichols said Failure of a company to comply with the safety requirements will result in consequences (Axios). Whitaker told a House subcommittee that fines are the agency's o…

United States4 sources
Attacks on officials

White House condemns Musk post saying 'no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala'

Replying to a user who asked why people wanted to kill Donald Trump, Musk wrote And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala. He deleted the post and said it had been a joke.

Response: The White House said Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about. This rhetoric is irresponsible. The Secret Service said it was aware of the post and "investigates all threa…

United States2 sources
Regulators and courts

Musk replies 'Fascists' to Australia's proposed misinformation law

Musk replied Fascists to a post linking a report on the Australian government's bill to fine platforms up to 5% of global revenue for enabling misinformation.

Response: Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill improves the transparency and accountability of platforms. Minister Bill Shorten said "Elon Musk's had more positions on free speech than the…

Australia3 sources
Attacks on officials

Musk calls for Moraes's impeachment and threatens reciprocal seizure of Brazilian government assets

In a series of posts, Musk wrote that Moraes should be impeached and jailed, and said that unless Brazil returned X's and SpaceX's seized assets, he would seek reciprocal seizure of Brazilian government assets, adding that he hoped Lula enjoyed flying commerc…

Response: No official response to the asset post was reported. The Supreme Court's First Panel unanimously upheld Moraes's suspension order.

Brazil2 sources
Leverage

Starlink tells Brazil's regulator it will not block X, then reverses and complies

Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel said Starlink had told it the company would not block X until its frozen assets were released. On 3 September Starlink said we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil, while calling the asset freeze ill…

Response: Anatel board member Arthur Coimbra said the regulator could eventually seize equipment from Starlink's 23 ground stations if it kept providing access.

Brazil3 sources
Regulators and courts

Brazil's Supreme Court suspends X nationwide and freezes Starlink's local bank accounts

Justice Moraes ordered the immediate suspension of X after it failed to name a legal representative in Brazil, a day after freezing Starlink's Brazilian accounts to cover X's fines on the grounds the companies were part of the same economic group.

Response: Musk accused Moraes of having repeatedly broken the laws he has sworn to uphold. A Supreme Court panel upheld the suspension. President Lula told CNN Brasil: "o mundo não é obrigado aguentar o vale…

Brazil6 sources
Regulators and courts

Musk answers EU Commissioner Breton's DSA warning before Trump interview with an expletive film meme

After Commissioner Thierry Breton published a letter warning Musk against amplifying harmful content during his live X interview with Donald Trump, Musk replied on X with a meme from the film Tropic Thunder containing explicit language.

Response: The Commission told the Financial Times the letter's timing and wording were not coordinated or agreed with President Ursula von der Leyen; X CEO Linda Yaccarino said it treated EU citizens as 'incap…

European Union2 sources
Disputed claims

Study finds 50 Musk election posts rated false or misleading drew 1.2 billion views

The Center for Countering Digital Hate identified 50 posts Musk shared between 1 January and 31 July 2024 containing election claims that fact-checkers had rated false or misleading, including claims that Democrats were importing voters through illegal immigr…

Response: CCDH chief executive Imran Ahmed said Musk was abusing his position as owner of a politically influential platform. X responded to Mother Jones with an automated message and did not respond to AFP.

United States2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk shares fabricated Telegraph headline claiming UK planned 'detainment camps' in the Falklands

Musk reposted a post by Britain First co-leader Ashlea Simon showing a purported Telegraph headline that Starmer was considering emergency detainment camps on the Falkland Islands for rioters, adding 'Detainment Camps'…. He deleted it within about 30 minu…

Response: The Telegraph said it had published no such article and that Starmer had considered no such thing.

United Kingdom3 sources
Market power

X sues advertisers and World Federation of Advertisers alleging illegal boycott; court dismisses case in 2026

X sued the World Federation of Advertisers and companies including Unilever, Mars, CVS Health and Orsted in Texas federal court, alleging that through the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) they organised an illegal advertising boycott. Musk posted:…

Response: Within days the WFA discontinued GARM, saying the allegations misconstrue its purpose and activities and had significantly drained its resources and finances.

United States7 sources
Disputed claims

Five secretaries of state ask Musk to fix X's Grok chatbot after false ballot-deadline answers

After President Biden withdrew from the race, X's AI chatbot Grok told users that ballot deadlines had passed in nine states, implying Kamala Harris could not be added. Five secretaries of state wrote to Musk asking that Grok direct election questions to CanI…

Response: The letter said Grok continued to repeat this false information for more than a week before it was corrected on 31 July 2024. X did not immediately respond (Minnesota Reformer).

United States3 sources
Disputed claimsPost

During UK riots, Musk posts 'Civil war is inevitable' and tags Starmer as '#TwoTierKeir'

Responding to footage of rioting in England, Musk posted Civil war is inevitable. Over the following days he tagged Prime Minister Keir Starmer in posts including Why aren't all communities protected in Britain? and #TwoTierKeir.

Response: Starmer's spokesman said There's no justification for comments like that; justice minister Heidi Alexander called the posts deeply irresponsible; Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described Musk to…

United Kingdom3 sources
Disputed claimsPost

Musk reposts AI-altered Kamala Harris campaign video without a parody label

Musk reposted a video that used an AI-generated imitation of Vice President Kamala Harris's voice, captioning it amazing with a laughing emoji and no parody label. Malay Mail reported it drew more than 128 million views on his account.

Response: California Governor Gavin Newsom posted that the video should be illegal; Musk replied that parody is legal in America (Axios). Senator Amy Klobuchar said the post violated X's guidelines, and the…

United States3 sources
Regulators and courtsPost

Musk says European Commission offered X an 'illegal secret deal' after preliminary DSA breach findings

After the Commission issued preliminary findings that X breached the Digital Services Act, Musk wrote that it had offered X an illegal secret deal to quietly censor speech in exchange for no fine, and said X looked forward to a very public battle in court.

Response: Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote on X: There has never been — and will never be — any secret deal. With anyone, adding that the DSA lets platforms offer commitments to settle a case.

European Union2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk post on eliminating voting machines prompts exchange with India's former IT minister

Musk wrote We should eliminate electronic voting machines, citing hacking risk. When former IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Indian EVMs were secure, Musk replied Anything can be hacked.

Response: Chandrasekhar wrote that Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure and isolated from any network or media and called Musk's view a huge sweeping generalisation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote t…

India2 sources
Market power

Indonesia's competition authority reviews Starlink pricing after predatory-pricing concerns; no finding

Indonesia's Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) held a stakeholder discussion on Starlink's market entry after industry concerns over a 40% device discount and low prices. It said it would keep monitoring the company under the 1999 competition…

Response: Starlink told the KPPU it complies with Indonesian regulations and does not engage in predatory pricing.

Indonesia4 sources
Regulators and courts

Musk calls Australia's eSafety Commissioner a 'censorship commissar' over stabbing video order

After Australia's eSafety Commissioner sought global removal of video of a Sydney church stabbing, and the Federal Court ordered the footage hidden pending a hearing, Musk described Commissioner Julie Inman Grant as the Australian censorship commissar.

Response: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Musk an arrogant billionaire who thinks he's above the law (AP) and told Sky News that Musk thinks he's above the law and above common decency.

Australia3 sources
Attacks on officials

Musk accuses Justice Moraes of betraying Brazil's constitution; Moraes opens inquiry into Musk

Musk wrote that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached, and said X would lift court-ordered restrictions on accounts.

Response: On 7 April Moraes added Musk to an existing disinformation inquiry and opened an obstruction-of-justice inquiry, setting a fine of 100,000 reais per day for each blocked account that remained unblock…

Brazil4 sources
Regulators and courts

X withholds accounts in India under government orders during farmers' protest, says it disagrees

X's Global Government Affairs account said the Indian government had issued executive orders to act on specific accounts and posts, and that we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions.

Response: No official government statement was reported; media cited a Hindustan Times report that MeitY ordered 177 accounts and links blocked across several platforms.

India2 sources
Disputed claims

Ukraine says Russian forces use Starlink at the front; Musk calls sales reports 'categorically false'

Ukraine's military intelligence said Russian units were using Starlink terminals and released audio it attributed to Russian soldiers. Musk wrote that reports of SpaceX selling terminals to Russia were categorically false and that "To the best of our knowle…

Response: Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said Russian use was becoming systemic.

UkraineRussia2 sources
Regulators and courtsPost

Delaware court voids Musk's 2018 Tesla pay package; Musk tells companies never to incorporate in Delaware

After Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick voided his 2018 Tesla pay package, Musk posted Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware and polled followers on moving Tesla's incorporation to Texas. On 1 February he wrote that companies should leave Del…

Response: Legal scholars quoted by The Philadelphia Inquirer disputed Musk's framing; Tulane law professor Ann Lipton said his losses would not have happened had Tesla followed basic corporate-governance forma…

United States2 sources
Threats

X briefly suspends accounts of several journalists and commentators; Musk cites spam sweeps

X suspended the accounts of journalists including Ken Klippenstein (The Intercept), Steven Monacelli (Texas Observer) and Alan MacLeod, along with several left-leaning commentators. Most accounts were restored within hours.

Response: Musk posted: We do sweeps for spam/scam accounts and sometimes real accounts get caught up in them. X answered Fast Company's questions with its automated press reply.

United States2 sources

2023 23

Threats

Musk tells advertisers who paused spending on X to 'go f--- yourself' at DealBook Summit, names Disney's Iger

Asked at the New York Times DealBook Summit about advertisers leaving X, Musk said that anyone trying to blackmail him with advertising should go fuck yourself, repeated Don't advertise, and addressed Disney CEO Bob Iger: "Hey Bob, if you're in the audi…

Response: Iger, speaking earlier at the summit, said association with Musk and X was not necessarily a positive one for us.

United States2 sources
Leverage

Musk visits Israel, tours Kfar Aza with Netanyahu; Israel says Gaza Starlink use requires its approval

Musk toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza with Prime Minister Netanyahu and said in an X Spaces conversation that Israel had no choice but to eliminate Hamas. Israel announced an agreement in principle that Starlink units may operate in Israel, including Gaza, only with…

Response: Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi welcomed a principle understanding with Musk. President Herzog's office said their meeting would address combating antisemitism online.

IsraelPalestine3 sources
Attacks on officialsPost

Musk says Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar 'hates the Irish people' after Dublin riots

Responding to a user who said the Irish government wanted all of your freedoms, Musk wrote that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hates the Irish people. In a second post he wrote that the Irish government 'clearly cares more about praise from woke media than their…

Response: Varadkar said existing incitement-to-hatred legislation was not up to date for the social-media age and that platforms and individuals posting hateful content both bear responsibility (Business Ins…

Ireland3 sources
Threats

Musk promises 'thermonuclear lawsuit' and X sues Media Matters in Texas over report on ads beside extremism

Musk posted that X would file a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters when courts opened on Monday. X then sued the group and its reporter Eric Hananoki in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, alleging they knowingly and maliciously manufactured imag…

Response: Media Matters president Angelo Carusone called it a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X's critics into silence and said the group stands behind its reporting.

United States7 sources
Leverage

Musk offers Starlink to aid groups in Gaza; Israel's communications minister vows to 'fight this'

During a Gaza telephone and internet blackout, Musk wrote that Starlink would support communication links with internationally recognized aid organizations there.

Response: Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi wrote that Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight this, saying Hamas would use it. Musk replied We are not so naive and said Starlink would take "…

PalestineIsrael2 sources
Disputed claims

Musk calls Taiwan 'an integral part of China' at All-In Summit; Taiwan's foreign minister responds

Speaking at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, Musk said Taiwan is an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China and that it may be analogous to Hawaii from Beijing's standpoint.

Response: Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu wrote on X: Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC & certainly not for sale! and added he hoped Musk could ask the CCP to open X to its people.

TaiwanChina2 sources
Leverage

Musk confirms he declined Ukraine's 2022 request to enable Starlink near Sevastopol for an attack

Responding to excerpts of Walter Isaacson's biography, Musk wrote that there was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol and that agreeing would have made SpaceX explicitly complicit in a major act o…

Response: Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote that civilians, children are being killed as a result. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev praised Musk on X.

UkraineRussia4 sources
ThreatsPost

Musk blames Anti-Defamation League for X's ad slump and threatens a defamation suit

Musk posted that the ADL had been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic, said US ad revenue was down 60% primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL, and said X may file a defamation suit. He later estimated A…

Response: An ADL spokesperson said the group was unsurprised yet undeterred and does not comment on legal threats. ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt called Musk's conduct "flat out dangerous and deeply irrespons…

United States2 sources
Market power

X found to delay links to New York Times, Reuters and rival platforms by about five seconds

A Washington Post analysis, confirmed in Reuters tests, found X delayed by about five seconds the loading of links to The New York Times and Reuters and to rival platforms including Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram.

Response: X confirmed the delay had been removed but gave no explanation. A New York Times spokesperson said we don't know the rationale behind the application of this time delay and that the paper would be…

United States2 sources
Threats

X sues hate-speech researchers CCDH; judge dismisses suit, saying it aimed to punish their speech

X Corp sued the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) in San Francisco federal court, alleging it illegally scraped data and cherry-picked posts in a scare campaign to drive away advertisers. X sought damages and an order barring CCDH from its…

Response: CCDH said By threatening us, Musk is trying to hide the truth about his own failures. CEO Imran Ahmed later called the suit a hypocritical campaign of harassment.

United States4 sources
Disputed claims

Musk says Julius Malema's party is 'openly pushing for' genocide of white South Africans

After EFF leader Julius Malema led the Kill the Boer chant at a rally, Musk wrote that they were openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa and asked why President Ramaphosa had not responded.

Response: Malema said Musk looks like an illiterate and that This matter is closed. The Democratic Alliance said it would complain to the UN Human Rights Council; Freedom Front Plus opened a criminal case…

South Africa3 sources
Market power

Twitter threatens to sue Meta over Threads launch, alleging trade-secret theft; Meta denies

Hours after Meta launched Threads, Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro wrote to Mark Zuckerberg accusing Meta of systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets by hiring former Twitter staff, and reserving the right to sue. Musk posted…

Response: Meta spokesman Andy Stone said: No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that's just not a thing.

United States2 sources
Elections

Twitter restricts some content in Turkey before presidential election; Musk defends decision

Two days before Turkey's 14 May election, Twitter said it had taken action to restrict access to some content in Turkey, without naming the content. Musk defended it: The choice is have Twitter throttled in its entirety or limit access to some tweets.

Response: Human Rights Watch urged platforms to be more transparent, saying the election's integrity depended on accessible platforms. Musk said Twitter could post what the Turkish government had sent.

Türkiye2 sources
Leverage

SpaceX says it has taken steps to limit Ukraine's military use of Starlink, including for drones

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said Starlink was never intended to be weaponized and that Ukraine had used it in ways not part of any agreement. She told reporters SpaceX could limit such use: There are things that we can do, and have done.

Response: Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said SpaceX must choose between Ukraine's right to freedom and Russia's 'right' to kill & seize territories. Digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov said there were…

Ukraine2 sources
Market power

Twitter changes developer terms to bar third-party clients, shutting down Tweetbot and Twitterrific

Twitter added a clause to its developer agreement forbidding use of its API to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications, after third-party apps had already stopped working without notice.

Response: Twitterrific's developer blamed an unannounced and undocumented policy change by an increasingly capricious Twitter.

United States2 sources

2022 13

Market power

Twitter bans links and handles for Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram and other rivals, then scales policy back

Twitter announced it would no longer allow free promotion of certain social media platforms, barring links or usernames for Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post, and saying it would remove accounts created to promote them.

Response: After criticism, Musk wrote the policy will be adjusted to suspending accounts only when that account's primary purpose is promotion of competitors.

United States2 sources
Threats

Twitter suspends journalists from CNN, NYT and Washington Post who covered jet-tracking ban; UN and EU object

Twitter suspended the accounts of several reporters, including CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, The New York Times' Ryan Mac, The Washington Post's Drew Harwell and The Intercept's Micah Lee, after coverage of the @elonjet ban. Musk wrote that "doxxing my real-time lo…

Response: A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the suspensions a dangerous precedent. EU Commissioner Věra Jourová warned of possible sanctions under EU law, saying "There are red lin…

United StatesEuropean Union2 sources
ThreatsPost

Musk says legal action is being taken against ElonJet creator after alleged stalker incident; account banned

Twitter permanently suspended the @elonjet account and its creator Jack Sweeney's personal account. Musk said a crazy stalker had followed a car carrying his son and posted: "Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to…

Response: Musk also posted that his plane is actually not trackable without using non-public data.

United States3 sources
Threats

Former Twitter safety chief Yoel Roth leaves home after threats escalate following Musk posts about him

CNN reported that Yoel Roth, Twitter's former head of trust and safety, left his home after threats against him increased. A person familiar with his situation told CNN the threats escalated after Musk appeared to endorse a post falsely accusing Roth of sympa…

Response: CNN's report did not include a response from Musk. A Twitter statement quoted in the report, that it was unfortunate to see individual employees targeted for company decisions, dates from 2020, whe…

United States2 sources
Threats

Musk announces on Twitter that engineer who publicly disputed him is fired; others dismissed over criticism

After Android engineer Eric Frohnhoefer publicly contradicted Musk's explanation of why the app was slow, Musk posted He's fired. Bloomberg reported that a second engineer, Ben Leib, was also fired after a critical retweet, and Platformer reported that abou…

Response: Twitter, whose communications team had largely been laid off, did not respond to requests for comment. Termination emails reported by Platformer said the employees' "recent behavior has violated comp…

United States3 sources
Leverage

SpaceX asks Pentagon to fund Starlink in Ukraine; Musk reverses a day later

After CNN reported a SpaceX letter asking the Pentagon to take over Starlink costs in Ukraine, Musk wrote that SpaceX could not fund the existing system indefinitely and that Burn is approaching ~$20M/month. On 15 October he wrote: "The hell with it … we'…

Response: The US military confirmed it was communicating with SpaceX about funding for the Starlink network (Al Jazeera).

Ukraine4 sources
Disputed claims

Musk suggests in FT interview that Taiwan become a 'special administrative zone' of China

In a Financial Times interview, Musk proposed a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable and said an arrangement could be more lenient than Hong Kong. Reuters and The Independent reported that he also said he considered conflict…

Response: China's ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, thanked Musk and restated Beijing's peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems principles. Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim,…

TaiwanChina4 sources
Disputed claimsPost

Musk posts Ukraine 'peace plan' poll proposing Crimea become part of Russia

Musk posted a Twitter poll on a plan to end the war: UN-supervised re-runs of the annexation referendums, Crimea formally part of Russia, assured water supply to Crimea, and Ukraine remaining neutral. A follow-up poll asked whether people of Donbas and Crimea…

Response: President Zelensky posted a poll asking Which @elonmusk do you like more? (one supporting Ukraine, one supporting Russia). Diplomat Andrij Melnyk replied with an expletive. The Kremlin called it a…

UkraineRussia2 sources
Leverage

Musk says he is activating Starlink for Iran after US eases sanctions during protests

Musk said SpaceX would activate Starlink in response to Secretary of State Antony Blinken's announcement of a general licence expanding internet services available to Iranians. In December 2022 he wrote: Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran.

Response: President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran must deal decisively with those who oppose the country's security and tranquility (state media via Al Jazeera).

Iran3 sources
Threats

SpaceX fires employees involved in open letter criticising Musk's public conduct

SpaceX fired several employees who wrote and circulated an internal open letter saying Musk's public behaviour was a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for the company. President Gwynne Shotwell said in a staff email, first reported by The New…

Response: Shotwell wrote that the letter and solicitations made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry and that "We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this…

United States3 sources