Elon Musk’s X claims ownership of user accounts in InfoWars sales dispute with The Onion

Editor’s opinion: This legal battle comes against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of social media platforms and their impact on public discourse. This case could reshape our understanding of what it means to “have” a social media account in the digital age. In a new and unexpected chapter in the ongoing InfoWars saga, Elon Musk’s

X applied limited appeal regarding the sale of InfoWars, the controversial media platform run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to The Onion. While X does not oppose the sale in principle, it argues that users do not own their accounts and cannot sell or transfer them without the platform’s express permission.

“X Corp.’s Terms of Service (terms of service) make it clear that it owns X Accounts, because the Terms of Service clearly state that X Corp. donations only The company said in a filing filed in a federal court in Texas that 404 Media later posted online that its users were granted a non-exclusive license to use their accounts.

“Regardless of use of the Accounts, X Corp. expressly owns the

This legal maneuver comes after InfoWars was put up for bankruptcy auction after Jones was ordered by a federal court to pay $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre. “

The Onion announced its acquisition of InfoWars earlier this month, but the deal is currently on hold pending a court hearing next month. The delay came after objections were filed by Jones and First United American Companies (FUAC), which is tied to Jones’ nutritional supplements business, which lost its bid.

Jones and FUAC accused Christopher Murray, the trustee who oversaw the auction, of colluding with The Onion and Sandy Hook families. Murray vehemently denied these allegations, calling them a “desperate attempt” to delay the sale.

This assertion of control over user accounts is not entirely new for the platform. Elon Musk had previously demonstrated X’s authority by taking over the dormant @america handle to support the pro-Donald Trump super political action committee during the presidential election.

X’s legal stance raises important questions regarding digital ownership and user rights on social media platforms. The company claims that it does not claim ownership of the content in the accounts, but instead controls the accounts themselves.

“While X Corp. does not take any position with respect to the sale of any Content posted on X Accounts, X Corp. is the sole owner of the Services sold as part of the sale of X Accounts,” the social media company said. he said. court file.

This position challenges the common practice of transferring social media accounts when brands are sold and potentially sets a precedent for future digital asset transactions. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching impacts on user rights, digital asset ownership, and the future of social media platforms.