Freedom of the press and speech is a fundamental right that should be protected. Best practices in democracy clearly show that media or social media platforms should never be under the control of government and should allow people to freely express their views without fear. The word free, however, does not mean there are no consequences. Being accountable for what we say when we hold a position of power (the pen is mightier than the sword) is one that comes with responsibilities and obligations and is not the same thing as having our speech censored.

Elon Musk calls himself a “free speech absolutist”. He is opposed to any restrictions on what someone can say online. His free speech misgivings seem to relate to his dealings with the US SEC. Musk was barred from being Tesla’s chairman for three years as a result of what he did and did not say to investors in 2018. The SEC filed a complaint against Musk after he tweeted that he had secured funding to take Tesla private saying the claim wasn’t true and that they lost money as a result of Tesla stock prices fluctuating after he tweeted.

One might say things are different for Elon Musk since he is the CEO of a publicly traded company but what about protecting free-speech when someone is speaking with friends in a public space? Aren’t they free to say whatever they want? Can a person call their boss a whore at work? Yes, but they may also lose their job. Can a student use a racial slur against another student in school? Yes, but they may be expelled. These are examples of natural and real consequences in the real world.

In this age of technology-facilitating anonymity there must be an increased focus on accountability. Natural consequences that match real damage. Hate speech causes damage and has a natural consequence to the perpetrator’s reputation and credibility. It’s should be the same online. The threat of violence should have an even higher consequence. Freedom of speech is a sacred thing to be protected but there is no such thing as “absolute free speech”.