Elon Musk to Take Legal Action Against Soros-Funded NGOs for Free Speech

Elon Musk, the visionary behind X (formerly known as Twitter), has made a bold statement. He announced that X would​ take legal action against organizations funded by financier George Soros, who allegedly advocate for a crackdown on free speech.

In​ a thought-provoking post on X on ⁤Aug. 23, Musk expressed his agreement⁤ with investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger. Shellenberger claims that George Soros-funded NGOs ‍have been spreading false information about the rise of “hate incidents” to justify restrictions on free expression.

“Politicians &‌ George Soros-funded⁣ NGOs say ‘hate incidents’ are rising, but they’re not,” wrote Shellenberger. “The data show the opposite: higher-than-ever and‍ rising levels of tolerance of ‍minorities. The reason they’re spreading hate ⁢misinformation is to justify ⁤a draconian crackdown on free speech.”

Musk didn’t stop at expressing his agreement; he also pledged to take legal action against these organizations.

“Exactly,” Musk wrote.⁣ “X will be ‍filing legal⁤ action to stop this. Can’t⁤ wait for discovery to start!”

Shellenberger’s claim was based​ on an article by Irish journalist Ben Scallan, who highlighted the influence of Open Society Foundations (founded by Soros) in pushing a “censorship agenda” in Ireland and Scotland. This agenda⁢ includes invasive police searches of ⁣homes ‍and personal devices.

Scallan’s article doesn’t specify which Soros-funded NGOs are involved in ‌this “censorship ⁣agenda.” However, it caught the attention of‍ both Shellenberger and Musk.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Open Society Foundations for comment on these ​claims and Musk’s legal threat.

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Scallan’s article highlights the claims made by​ Irish leaders, including Justice ‌Minister Helen McEntee, ⁢about the rise​ of hate-based offenses in Ireland. They refer to a reported⁢ 29 percent increase in‌ hate crimes in 2022 compared to the previous year.

However, Scallan argues that an increase in reported hate offenses doesn’t necessarily mean an​ actual‌ increase in hate crimes. The threshold for classifying something as a hate offense⁢ is low, often requiring little evidence⁣ beyond⁤ someone’s claim.

According to Scallan, the police and government in Ireland have been‌ encouraging people to report hate incidents for years, with the‍ police aiming to increase the number⁢ of reported hate crimes. This ⁤may have contributed to the reported rise in hate-based offenses.

Scallan also points out that people today​ are more likely to label things⁣ as “harmful” and “hateful” than in the past, indicating a broader cultural shift in perceptions of offensive behavior.

As a mixed-race Irish journalist, Scallan argues that there is no solid evidence‌ supporting the claim of an increase in hate crimes in Ireland,​ particularly against migrants.

He suggests that the heightened focus on hate speech ‌could be a pretext for the ‍Irish government’s push to enact strict hate speech laws. These laws would criminalize the possession of “hateful material” and impose penalties⁣ for refusing to provide ‌device passwords​ to⁣ authorities.

The proposed law ‍(pdf), ⁣known as the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offenses) Bill 2022, has faced criticism for potentially restricting free speech⁢ and shifting the burden of proof onto the accused.

Irish⁢ Prime Minister Helen⁢ McEntee has been⁤ a vocal advocate ⁣for⁣ this‍ measure.

“It’s⁣ hard ⁤to believe that despite increasing instances of hate ‍crime and‌ general support from the public to criminalize such acts, Ireland doesn’t⁢ yet have hate ​crime laws in place and⁤ will be one of the last countries in Europe to enact such legislation,” she said in a speech.