Jameela Jamil quits ‘hell platform’ Twitter after Elon Musk takeover: ‘Lawless hate, bigotry and misogyny’
Jameela Jamil has quit Twitter over Elon Musk’s imminent take-over of the social media service. (Getty Images)
Jameela Jamil has quit Twitter after the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, purchased the highly influential “hell platform”.
The Good Place actor joined other LGBT+ advocacy groups in expressing a mixture of worry and scepticism ahead of the Tesla mogul’s thumping takeover of the website.
Jamil raised questions about the 50-year-old’s intentions to buy Twitter for around $44 billion. Musk stressed in a statement announcing the deal that “free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy”.
“One good thing about Elon buying Twitter is that I will *FINALLY* leave and stop being a complete menace to society on here,” Jamil tweeted on Monday evening (25 April) to her one million followers. “So, it’s a win for you all, really.”
She also expressed her suspicion over Musk buying the social media service for “free speech”.
Twitter will become a ‘lawless space of bigotry’ under Elon Musk’s control, says Jameela Jamil
Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter is “going to become a lawless space of bigotry, misogyny and xenophobia and people who already have no money… being manipulated about crypto,” Jameela Jamil explained.
The 36-year-old doubled down on this as she posted her “last tweet”.
“Ah, he got twitter. I would like this to be my [sic] what lies here as my last tweet,” she said.
https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1518676806261477386
“Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold. I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny.
“Best of luck.”
Jameela Jamil was not alone. Elon Musk’s blockbuster deal, which has been unanimously approved by Twitter’s board, struck fear in LGBT+ activist groups such as GLAAD. All the while hashtags such as #RIPTwitter and #TwitterSold trended high.
The media watchdog had two main concerns. Musk, GLAAD president Sarah Ellis stressed in a statement, has a troubling track record of posting anti-LGBT+ tweets.
By taking control over Twitter in the name of so-called “free speech”, Ellis feared that tweets and memes mocking people who put their pronouns in their social media bios that Musk has shared in the past could become fair game.
Musk has also taken aim at other minority groups, such as last week when he blamed Netflix’s plunging subscriber numbers on the “woke mind virus“.
His automotive company Tesla, meanwhile, has faced a lawsuit from a Black gay woman over its “festering” factory culture of racism and homophobia.
Elon Musk has explained in the past that he would give Twitter users more control over what content they see. (Christian Marquardt – Pool/Getty Images)
“Twitter should hold to its principles and the industry standard of prohibiting speech that endangers people, spreads misinformation, and incites harassment and abuse,” Ellis said. Twitter’s code of conduct explicitly bans “targeted abuse” against people for their sexual orientation and gender identity.
“LGBTQ people are at disproportionate risk for harassment online and violence in real life,” she added. “The cost of hate speech further erodes basic safety and civility across society.
“Elon Musk and his investors should prioritise content moderation to create spaces where truth is elevated over harmful and inaccurate opinions and where public figures are held accountable.”
Some American lawmakers also expressed unease over Musk seizing control of Twitter. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren wrote: “This deal is dangerous for our democracy.
“Billionaires like Elon Musk play by a different set of rules than everyone else, accumulating power for their own gain.”
Musk, however, welcomed such criticism.
“I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter,” Musk tweeted, “because that is what free speech means.”
