FACT CHECK: Did Elon Musk Post This Tweet About Banning Reporters?

FACT CHECK: Did Elon Musk Post This Tweet About Banning Reporters?

A post shared on Facebook purports Twitter CEO Elon Musk published a tweet describing banning reporters he doesn’t like on his platform as a “pretty innocuous alternative” to murder.Verdict: False

The tweet originated on the subreddit r/WhitePeopleTwitter, where it was labeled as satirical. No such tweet appears on Musk’s verified account.

Fact Check:

Musk posted on a poll on Twitter Sunday asking users if he should step down as the platform’s CEO, with the majority of users voting in favor of the action, according to USA Today. The most recent release of the “Twitter Files” allegedly revealed the Federal Bureau of Investigation paid Twitter to censor information “from the public,” CNN reported.

The Facebook post purports Musk published a tweet about banning reporters on his platform. “You know, in some parts of the world, journalists get murdered for crossing the wrong people. Banning the reporters I don’t like from my own platform feels like a pretty innocuous alternative to me,” the purported tweet reads.

The claim is false. There are no credible news reports suggesting Musk published such a tweet. Likewise, an advanced Twitter search reveals no such tweet appears on Musk’s verified account. In addition, there is no mention of the purported claim on Twitter’s company blog.

The tweet originated on the subreddit r/WhitePeopleTwitter on Dec. 16, which included a “satire/fake tweet” label. The satirical tweet is still viewable on the subreddit at the time of publication. (RELATED: Did The Guardian Report On Leaked Audio Of Elon Musk?)

Some journalists accounts, who write for the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN, were among those whose accounts were suspended Dec. 15, The Associated Press reported. Musk accused these journalists of doxxing him after they reported on a policy involving the suspension of a Twitter account that tracked flights made on his private jet, according to the outlet.

Musk suspended the account over an alleged stalking incident involving his family. He later reversed course on his decision, lifting the journalists’ suspensions after polling Twitter users about the topic, The Guardian reported.

Check Your Fact has contacted Musk for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.