Key Takeaways
- Vitalik Buterin has voiced his concerns over a rise in anti-European sentiment on X.
- Buterin argued that Musk’s leadership has turned the platform into a “death star laser for coordinated hate sessions.”
- For the sake of free speech, X should be more transparent, the Ethereum founder argued.
In a recent tirade on X, Vitalik Buterin stepped up to defend European values against an onslaught of criticism, singling out the platform’s shift under Elon Musk as a pillar of hate.
The Ethereum founder accused Musk of trampling over the very freedoms he claims to uphold, and called on him to be more transparent about how X treats different viewpoints.
Buterin Decries “Unhinged” Attacks on Europe
Without pointing his finger at any specific instances, Buterin said, “The attacks on Europe I’ve seen here the last couple of days, including from people I’ve generally considered interesting and sophisticated, have been getting unhinged.”
While he acknowledged that the EU has problems, he argued that the “apocalyptic attitude” circulating on X “does not match my experience.”
Among the accounts Buterin follows, several have been critical of the EU and broader European political climate in recent days and weeks.
For instance, a post by the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin calling for the abolition of the EU recently went viral, racking up over 1.3 million views since Sunday, Dec. 7.
Musk vs. EU Escalates
The recent wave of anti-EU sentiment on X follows the European Commission’s decision to fine the platform for failing to moderate content.
Facing a 120 million euro penalty, X owner Musk criticized “EU woke stasi commissars” and doubled down on his position that the European Union should be disbanded.
Musk’s beef with the liberal, centrist parties that exert the largest influence in European politics is well documented, as is his support for eurosceptic and nationalist movements across the continent.
But his claims that X is a bastion of free speech have been widely disregarded by opponents who argue that the platform’s rightward shift amplifies a narrow range of views at the expense of others.
Buterin Calls on Musk To Increase X Transparency
Appealing to Musk directly, Buterin argued that “making X a global totem pole for Free Speech, and then turning it into a death star laser for coordinated hate sessions, is actually harmful for the cause of free speech.”
Commenting on the post, Ethereum AI Lead Davide Crapis suggested that if Musk really cared a out free speech, X should be more transparent about how it algorithmically sorts content.
“I would go further,” Buterin responded:
“ZK-prove every decision made by the algorithm (ideally have content and likes/RTss timestamped on-chain so the server can’t censor or lie about time), and commit to publishing the full algorithm code.”
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James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
