In 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company, acquired X—formerly known as Twitter—for a staggering $44 billion. Since then, the platform has undergone significant transformations in both appearance and operational philosophy, sparking debates about its ideological stance.Under Musks leadership, X transitioned from a platform many criticized as dysfunctional to one that has drawn accusations of fostering ideological bias. Observers have pointed to its perceived shift towards right-wing politics. However, Musk has consistently defended X, claiming the platform remains politically balanced.Musks defense of XRecently, Musk addressed the controversy while responding to a post on X by the account Stat Shepard. The post asserted, 𝕏 stands out as the most politically balanced social media platform, citing statistics showing an almost equal split between Democrat (48%) and Republican (47%) news consumers in the U.S.That is the goal. This platform only seems to”right-wing” to the left. https://t.co/5Gk0lYn1gl— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2024Musk, quoting the post, affirmed, That is the goal. This platform only seems right-wing to the left, dismissing allegations of right-leaning bias.The allegations of right-wing biasCritics argue that Musks own political shift towards right-wing ideologies, coupled with changes to Xs policies, has steered the platform in a conservative direction. One significant change was the dismantling of Xs content moderation framework, which Musk justified as part of his advocacy for free speech.These changes have drawn mixed reactions. Publications like The Guardian have announced they will no longer post news on X, raising questions about the validity of Musks claims of balance.While Musk continues to champion X as a neutral space, critics argue that its evolution reflects the owners broader ideological leanings, making the debate over Xs ideological stance more relevant than ever.
