X claims ownership of Infowars accounts

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

11/27/24 11:37 AM ET


X, the social platform owned by Elon Musk, is getting involved in the pending bankruptcy sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s Infowars to the satirical newspaper The Onion. In an objection filed Monday, X said its terms of service (TOS) prevent Jones’s X accounts from being sold off without the company’s approval. The platform does not oppose the other aspects of the sale.

Musk has developed an increasingly close relationship with President-elect Trump, having donated millions to Musk’s own pro-Trump super PAC and appeared on the campaign trail. After the election, Trump named Musk to co-head a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” and he has been a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago.

“The Trustee now seeks to contravene X Corp.’s TOS by improperly selling or otherwise transferring the X Accounts (which neither Jones nor his bankruptcy estate own) to a third party,” X wrote in Monday’s objection. “While X Corp. takes no position as to the sale of any Content posted on the X Accounts, X Corp. is the sole owner of the Services being sold as part of the sale of the X Accounts.”

Jones and his company filed for bankruptcy protection after the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims sued Jones for defamation over his false claims the shooting was a hoax, winning $1.5 billion from him. Jones’s assets are now being liquidated, including Infowars, his right-wing conspiracy website.

Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5012284-elon-musk-x-alex-jones-infowars-sale-the-onion/

[ruet]

1. Hmmm... If "X" Owns the Accounts...

doesn't that mean they loose the benefit of Section 230 protections?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Good catch. Makes them liable for ALL posts. Sue X into the ground. . . . nt

[CousinIT]

2. Let him have his fucking X accounts. As long as The Onion gets the rest of InfoWars

and all their other non-X accounts.

Eloon is a fucking greedy prick.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Not greed, it's control. Egoloon is protecting bro Alego Jonesloon. . . . nt

[ancianita]

5. How can X insert itself in a court's review of the Onion's winning bid? How can X claim to have been IN the auction

at the point when the Onion outbid everyone? So how can X/Elon even presume standing in this court?

And how can Infowars' TOS overrule the previous ruling that all Jones' assets must be sold off to pay the Sandy Hook plaintiffs' win?

None of what X/Musk is doing makes sense. Infowars' TOS can't exempt Infowars from lawsuits, or ANY site's TOS can do the same, such that no one can win a suit against a site for "loss, harm, or damage."

Am I missing something about how this court can rule in favor of some 3rd party that wants to assert itself as some new auction participant?

[rampartd]

7. if x owns the accounts that jones used in his sandy hook stypidity

isn't x responsible for the offemsive content?

sue "x"

[The Grand Illuminist]

10. Statute of Limitation may prevent that challenge.

nt

[in2herbs]

6. Given that the money we invest with a financial advisor is under the financial advisor's

control and not the investors, we'll have to wait and see if the decision on this matter tracks with what is already a grab by Oligarchs.

[Orrex]

8. Why don't they both just fucking die already?

There would be no down side. None.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. If X is sole owner, why do they have to go to court to reclaim them?

Were they leased?

[Figarosmom]

11. I hope he goes broke

Taking ownership of defamation isn't too bright. The way it is he took ownership of all posts on X which now opens him up to defamation suits. I think he thinks he's above the law like trump. But I don't think trump got out of paying E Jean Carroll and look at Guilliani 'woe is me can't pay my bills". Hope people with deep pockets start suing him.

[Montauk6]

12. Onion's makin' 'em cry, I see

[Volaris]

13. Thats because they did everthing by the terms of the court-approved auction agreement,

Which Alex and his idiots-for-lawyers couldn't be bothered to read, so now they're crying foul after the fact.

[Montauk6]

14. Like I always say...

When capitalism happens to so-called capitalists, they instantly roll up like pillbugs and become the whiniest welfare queens.