Musk slams NewsGuard’s censorship.

Entrepreneur Elon Musk has strongly criticized content moderator NewsGuard, calling⁣ it a “scam” and demanding its immediate disbandment. Musk accuses⁢ NewsGuard of suppressing speech⁢ that doesn’t align⁣ with the ‍moderator’s ‍political biases. ‍He also questions the European⁤ Union’s alleged association⁤ with NewsGuard.

On Oct. 19, Trump administration official Mike‍ Benz made a startling claim on X, formerly known as Twitter,⁢ stating that NewsGuard is involved ⁢in a plot to bankrupt ⁢alternative news sources. He further revealed that ‍NewsGuard collaborated with the EU on a disinformation code ​and offers “disinformation compliance” services to enforce censorship laws.

The EU’s “2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation” urges ⁣tech‍ companies and ad firms to financially suffocate publishers spreading content deemed as “disinformation.” In response, Musk directly questioned⁤ Thierry⁤ Breton, the European⁣ Commissioner for the European Union’s Internal Market, ⁣asking for an explanation.

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In‌ an Oct. 19 X post, political commentator and podcast host Tim Pool revealed that NewsGuard penalized them for running ⁢stories that quoted ‍former ⁤President Donald Trump. NewsGuard claimed that reporting⁤ on Trump’s statements was⁢ irresponsible and⁣ that they should ‍have fact-checked him instead. Musk responded to this revelation, calling NewsGuard a scam and demanding its immediate disbandment.

Founded in 2018, NewsGuard claims to objectively and‍ impartially⁣ rate online content for trustworthiness. However, an investigation by ⁤The Epoch Times revealed that NewsGuard’s ratings⁢ were influenced by its own biased opinions.

Elon Musk ⁢has been under increasing‌ pressure from the EU regarding content​ moderation on X.

Musk Versus EU

The Tesla CEO⁢ has been at odds with the European Union over its content moderation policies ⁣for a while.

After Musk took over ⁢Twitter, now known ⁣as X, in ​October last year, Thierry Breton stated that if the ‍platform wants to operate in the EU, it must comply with⁣ their rules. ⁣Breton also suggested that Musk needs to ⁤increase the number of content moderators on the platform in⁢ the EU.

In mid-December, tensions escalated‍ between X and ​the EU when the‌ platform suspended multiple journalists for ​allegedly ⁢violating its new ​policy ⁢on doxxing. Vera Jourova, a‌ European Commission vice ‍president, expressed concern over the “arbitrary suspension” of reporters.

In ​February this year, the EU criticized X for not taking ‌the bloc’s fight against “disinformation” seriously. ⁣The platform produced an incomplete report on its compliance with EU rules on censorship, lagging behind Google, Meta, and TikTok.

“I ⁢am disappointed to see that Twitter’s report lags behind others and‍ I expect a more serious commitment to their obligations,” said Ms. Jourova at the time.

Unlike tech firms like Google and Facebook, X has refused‌ to participate in‍ the EU’s ⁣voluntary anti-disinformation effort, the “2022⁢ Code of Practice on Disinformation.”

During a press conference in September,⁣ Ms. Jourova referred to X as “the platform with the‍ largest ratio of mis- or disinformation posts” and warned ​that they would be ​closely monitored.

Musk ⁢responded to the warning with a‌ series of memes on X, mocking other tech firms’ eagerness to ​comply with the EU’s censorship ‍laws.

This month, ‍Mr. Breton accused ⁤X ⁢of⁢ not blocking posts related to the Israel-Hamas ‍conflict, claiming that groups ‌are spreading misinformation and‍ “violent and⁤ terrorist” content on the platform.

X CEO Linda⁢ Yaccarino defended the‌ platform, stating that they have⁢ removed hundreds of accounts linked to Hamas ‍and taken down thousands of posts following⁣ the terror group’s attack​ on Israel.

NewsGuard Censorship

An investigation by The Epoch Times revealed that⁤ NewsGuard promotes ⁣its own biased opinions while fact-checking publishers.

There have been instances where publishers faced pressure from NewsGuard for running stories on topics such ⁤as COVID-19 vaccines, pandemic restrictions, climate ‍change, and the World Economic Forum, which contradicted the views of the leftist establishment.

Most of the outlets⁢ rated poorly by NewsGuard tend ‍to lean right-wing, according​ to the investigation.

Conservative education platform PragerU was previously⁣ labeled ‍red by NewsGuard. The organization demanded‌ that PragerU stop criticizing COVID-19⁤ lockdown policies and⁢ refrain from questioning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

NewsGuard​ has also received funding from the Biden administration, with the Department of Defense awarding them $749,387⁢ in 2021‍ for their “misinformation fingerprints” project.

The project utilizes⁤ human intelligence and AI ‌to monitor and suppress⁣ stories and media outlets deemed false and​ unreliable. It provides a continuously‌ updated view of the digital information environment​ and tracks emerging narratives online.

In a​ report by the Media Research Center (MRC), it ‌was⁤ revealed that NewsGuard gave perfect scores ⁣to outlets that tried to⁢ suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story.

“Left-wing⁢ news organizations Politico, The Washington ⁤Post, Axios, and​ USA Today all dismissed the Biden bombshell as possible disinformation. Despite later authentication⁣ by⁤ The New York Times and ⁢its connection to an ongoing federal investigation, NewsGuard rated these outlets with perfect‌ credibility scores,” the report stated.

In ‍May last year, ⁤Rep. Jim Banks wrote a letter expressing concern⁣ over the ⁢grant given to NewsGuard⁣ by the U.S. Cyber Command. He criticized the “partisan suppression of political ⁤speech” and highlighted NewsGuard’s extreme partisan bias.

Musk’s criticism ⁣of⁤ NewsGuard and his ongoing‌ clash with​ the ⁤EU over content moderation policies reflect the ⁤challenges faced ⁣by tech platforms and the growing concerns‌ surrounding censorship​ and biased fact-checking.