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Up Late with Ben Harvey: Why Elon Musk is a hypocritical w***er‘ over Twitter purchase

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Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has ruffled a few feathers, including Ben Harvey’s.

On Tuesday night’s episode of Up Late, Harvey calls Musk a “hypocritical w***ker’” over his supposed dedication to free speech.

Musk clinched a deal to buy Twitter for $US44 billion ($A61 billion) cash in a transaction that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the world’s richest person.

Musk has criticised Twitter’s moderation, calling himself a free-speech absolutist, said that Twitter’s algorithm for prioritising tweets should be public, and has criticised giving too much power on the service to corporations that advertise.

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Political activists expect that a Musk regime will mean less moderation and reinstatement of banned individuals including former president Donald Trump.

Conservatives cheered the prospect of fewer controls while some human rights activists voiced fears of a rise in hate speech.

Harvey questioned Musk’s dedication to free speech, particularly when it comes to his companies.

“He (Musk) did it (purchased Twitter) because he’s mad for free speech,” Harvey says.

But “Musk is a ‘do as I say not as I do’ kinda guy”.

“He doesn’t like free speech for example when it’s served in the form of a question when Tesla reports disappointing earnings as happened in 2018.

“And he doesn’t like free speech when you quit working for Tesla, because if you do you often need to sign a form promising to agree not to disparage Tesla, the company’s products, officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents, affiliates in any manner likely to be harmful to them or their business, business reputation or personal reputation”.

But as a journalist, Harvey says he is all for free speech because it means he can “call Musk a hypocritical w***er”.

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