Elon Musk is under fire after several prominent right-wing accounts on X (formerly Twitter) claimed they lost access to premium features following criticism of his views on immigration. These allegations have raised concerns about censorship on the platform, which Musk has championed as a bastion of free speech.
On Friday night, Musk lashed out at some anti-immigration Republicans, calling them “contemptible fools” and “hateful, unrepentant racists,” while suggesting that they could be the downfall of the Republican Party. In response to his pro-legal immigration stance, at least 14 conservative accounts, who had previously criticized Musk’s position, reported that X had revoked their blue verification tick, a symbol of premium account status. The removal of the blue tick also meant they could no longer monetize their accounts, with some expressing concerns over their ability to continue posting on the platform.
When Musk purchased X in 2022, he introduced a policy of “freedom of speech but not freedom of reach,” meaning that negative or controversial posts wouldn’t be banned, but would be “max deboosted”—making them harder to find. Musk clarified that this policy would apply to individual tweets rather than entire accounts.
Despite his claims of advocating for free expression, Musk has also made statements supporting the jailing of some critics, which has prompted accusations of hypocrisy. On Thursday, he posted a “reminder” on X that if a verified subscriber account receives more mutes or blocks than likes, its reach would “decline significantly.” This statement led some to accuse him of “shadowbanning” users—restricting an account’s reach without official acknowledgment.
The allegations of censorship come amid a heated immigration debate in the U.S., particularly after Donald Trump appointed Indian-born entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as his adviser on artificial intelligence. Musk, a supporter of the appointment, has long been an advocate for skilled immigration. However, his stance has led to clashes with Trump’s anti-immigration supporters. Laura Loomer, a vocal MAGA figure, claimed that Musk’s platform flagged 75% of the replies on her account as spam following a dispute with the billionaire.
Musk has repeatedly voiced his support for legal immigration, stating that the U.S. should greatly increase the influx of hardworking and honest individuals. In December, he reiterated this view, stating that the number of highly skilled engineers in the U.S. is too low, comparing the need for top talent to assembling a winning sports team.
As the controversy continues, both X and Musk have yet to respond to requests for comment from NBC News.
