Elon Musk criticizes Twitter, Web3 and NFTs on Twitter

In the run-up to Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk’s public disclosure of a $3 billion stake in Twitter, the billionaire had criticized the microblogging site for failing to adhere to free speech principles and said he was contemplating building a new social media platform.

The world’s richest person in the past months has said he is a free speech absolutist, while being vocal against Web3, a term for a utopian version of the internet that is decentralized and whose commercial backbone is the non-fungible tokens (NFT).

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Musk, though active proponents of cryptocurrencies, share skepticism around the metaverse, NFTs and Web3, what some deem to be the evolution of the internet.

A 3D-printed logo for Twitter is seen in this picture illustration made in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

From ridiculing Twitter’s new CEO to calling NFT profile pictures “annoying”, here’s a list of Musk’s tweets and comments on Twitter, Web3, NFTs and free speech.

Date Tweet

March 15, Musk tweeted, “I’m selling this song about NFTs as an

2021 NFT.” The tweet included a song with the lyrics – “NFT for

your vanity. Computers never sleep. It’s verified. It’s

guaranteed.” The next day, he tweeted: “Actually, doesn’t

feel quite right selling this. Will pass.”

Dec. 1, Musk posted a meme comparing new Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal

2021 with Joseph Stalin

SpaceX founder Elon Musk reacts at a post-launch news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifted off on an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

Dec. 2, “Web3 sounds like bs”, said Musk, responding to a thread

2021 by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman

Dec. 21, Musk mocked the Web3 concept, in a tweet, he said, “Has

2021 anyone seen web3? I can’t find it.”

Jan. 21, In a Twitter thread calling the NFT profile picture

2022 feature annoying, Musk said, “Twitter is spending

engineering resources on this bs while crypto scammers are

throwing a spambot block party in every thread!?”

Feb. 22, Musk, known for creating original memes, tweeted an image

2022 mocking the progress of the world wide web, ridiculing

Web3.

March 5, In a tweet claiming some governments asked Starlink to

2022 block Russian news sources, Musk said, “Sorry to be a free

speech absolutist.”

March 24, Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said in a quote tweet, “The

2022 choice of which algorithm to use (or not) should be open

to everyone”

March 24, Musk asked in a poll if Twitter’s algorithm should be open

2022 source.

March 26, Musk said Twitter failing to adhere to free speech

2022 principles fundamentally undermines democracy and asked if

a new platform was needed.

April 4, In his first tweet since the disclosure of his stake in

2022 Twitter, he said, “Oh hi lol”

(Reporting by Akash Sriram and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)