Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. Photo: Profimedia
Billionaire and newly appointed US presidential adviser Elon Musk has clashed with a senior NATO official over criticism of his management of the social network X (formerly Twitter). The conflict erupted after Admiral Robb Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, spoke at a conference of the Institute for International Strategic Studies, where he expressed concern about the role of social media in spreading disinformation.
Admiral Bauer said that while he supports freedom of speech, he is not convinced that Musk has taken the right approach to managing Platform X. He noted that disinformation and cyberattacks online are becoming increasingly dangerous, undermining democratic processes and influencing elections, and automated “bots” only exacerbate this effect.
In response, Musk posted a sharp statement on X, where he wrote: “Let’s try to leave Orwell in the fictional world,” alluding to George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel 1984. He also added: “These people are taking ‘1984’ as a manual for action,” highlighting the dangers of a totalitarian approach to freedom of speech.
Elon Musk, who took over the platform in 2022, has promised to fight bots and fakes, but his changes to the moderation policy have drawn criticism, with research showing that the spread of disinformation online has increased, especially during the US election period.
Recently, President Donald Trump announced that Musk will head a new commission to cut government spending. This decision has further increased attention to Musk’s role in the government and his influence on public opinion. According to sources, Musk has already invested more than $100 million in Trump’s campaign, making him one of the key financial players in this election campaign.
This case has once again raised questions about the role of social media in modern politics, freedom of speech, and the responsibility of tech giants in countering disinformation.
