“Free speech absolutist” allegedly fires employee for raising security concerns.
Apparently Elon’s version of free speech doesn’t extend to employees who raise concerns about information security:
"Alan Rosa, who was Twitter’s global head of information security, filed the lawsuit late on Tuesday in New Jersey federal court, alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and retaliation, among other claims. X Corp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Rosa claims that late last year, after Musk acquired the company, he was told to cut his department’s budget for physical security by 50%…
"Rosa says he objected because the cuts would put Twitter at risk of violating a $150m settlement it entered into earlier in 2022 with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which claimed Twitter had misused users’ personal information. The agreement required Twitter to implement privacy and information security controls to protect confidential data.
“He was fired days after raising those concerns, according to the lawsuit. Rosa is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and legal fees.”
It’s a shame that people like Elon are associated with the “free speech” movement. The right to free speech is something people fought and died for, and have risked their lives to protect decade on decade. It’s a gift previous generations have given to us. And now it’s almost seen as a dirty word. Which is exactly what those in power want.
Free speech and an unrestrained press protects all of us from government over-reach, it is a primary defense against the growth of fascism, it is the engine that drives the next stage of social and cultural evolution. Ideas considered abhorrent now may be commonplace in the future. Think of what people would had said if you had advocated for legal homosexuality in the 1950s, you’d be right if you’d think they’d use any exemption possible in free speech protections to try and throw you in jail, in fact they did, and people are calling for less free speech than we had then.
You are a human. It should be a universal human right to think whatever you want to think and say whatever you want to say, and the government has no place putting anything other than extremely clear and limited restrictions on it. Society is free to punish you, but it’s a power we cannot hand over to the government.
“My free speech, not your free speech.” Pretty common attitude among freeze peach evangelists.
Looks like Elon’s taking it back to the late 90’s/early 2000’s.
