Elon Musk’s X is stepping into the legal fight over Alex Jones’ Infowars.
Elon Musk’s social media platform X is intervening in the bankruptcy sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's Infowars, marking the first time a social media company has stepped into a legal dispute over account ownership. Jones’ Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, was auctioned to help pay off some of the $1.5 billion Jones owes to the families of Sandy Hook massacre victims after being found guilty of defamation. The Onion, a satirical news website, won the auction with support from the families, but Jones and his supporters are challenging the sale in court.
The sale includes Infowars’ website, studio equipment, its online supplement store, and social media accounts that have millions of followers. In most previous legal disputes over account ownership, social media companies have allowed courts and involved parties to resolve the issue. However, X is stepping in to object to the inclusion of Jones' X accounts in the sale. X argues that its terms of service prohibit the sale or transfer of accounts, claiming that these accounts are ultimately owned by X.
Jones has praised Elon Musk for his intervention, calling him a hero for taking action in his case. Experts in social media law are noting that this is the first instance of a social media platform actively challenging the sale of an account during a legal dispute. Toby Butterfield, a social media law professor at Columbia University, remarked that it is unusual for a platform to assert ownership of accounts in court, especially when it could affect the transfer of ownership.
X's attorneys filed a statement with the Texas bankruptcy court this week, explaining their objection. They stated that while they do not oppose the overall sale of Infowars’ parent company, they object to any sale or transfer of accounts associated with Jones and Free Speech Systems on X’s platform. This legal intervention is significant, as social media platforms typically enforce account ownership quietly without stepping into public legal battles. Eric Goldman, a tech law professor at Santa Clara University, emphasized that social media services are cautious in these situations to avoid discouraging users from heavily investing in their accounts.
Jones' legal fight continues as he seeks to stop the sale, with his social media accounts playing a key role in the dispute.
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