Former Labour Secretary Robert Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton, has criticised Elon Musk sternly, branding him as “out of control” and calling for significant measures to address his influence.
In a column published on Friday, Reich outlined a series of actions he believes should be taken to rein in Musk, particularly in light of his recent acquisition of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Reich argued that Musk’s purchase of X was driven more by a quest for power than a genuine commitment to free speech, labelling the acquisition as “dangerous nonsense.”
He called for a boycott of both Tesla and X and suggested that global regulators should threaten Musk with arrest if he continues to spread misinformation and hate on the platform.
Reich referenced the recent arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities as an example of what could happen if Musk does not comply with regulatory demands.
Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris and faced charges related to criminal activities on Telegram, including child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking. Reich posited that similar actions could be considered against Musk if he fails to address harmful content on X.
In addition to advocating for global regulatory action, Reich urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States to take legal action against Musk under Section Five of the FTC Act, which addresses deceptive practices that endanger public safety. He emphasised that Musk’s First Amendment rights should not precede the public interest.
Reich also proposed that the U.S. government reconsider its contracts with SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company.
He questioned why the government continues to support a company led by someone he believes has shown a disregard for the public good. “Why give Musk more economic power when he repeatedly abuses it and demonstrates contempt for the public good?” Reich wrote.
Finally, Reich suggested that Americans should work to ensure that Musk’s favoured presidential candidate, Donald Trump, does not win the upcoming election.
Musk has publicly supported Trump, particularly after the former president narrowly avoided an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Reich’s calls for action reflect growing concern about Musk’s impact on public discourse and his influence over critical sectors, including social media and space exploration.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
