this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2024
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Does it feel like your X account belongs to you and you can do whatever you want with it? That’s not true, according to a new court filing from the social media company formerly known as Twitter. It’s an argument that X is making in order to throw a wrench in The Onion’s recent purchase of InfoWars, the conspiracy theory media company run by Alex Jones. And it’s a great reminder that you don’t actually own what you think you own in the digital age.

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[–] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 31 points 21 hours ago

Elon Musk parody accounts no longer required to advertise themselves as parody, since they really are Elon Musk now.

[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 19 hours ago

Not supporting Musk here, but there is some truth to the claim in the headline.

One major danger we currently have is everyone thinking that social media platform accounts are property. They simply aren't -- at least, not yours. If the company decides to terminate your account, they can do that. It will be supported by the TOS. You do not own it.

You also don't own data you put on it. Post a bunch of photos to FB? They own them and can do whatever they want with them.

The danger is that these things are so ubiquitous they appear like information utilities, but they are not. They are corporate services wholly owned by their respective corporations. It is something that makes federated systems stand out from the crowd (not that you own an account there either, but there at least is not a single centralized corporate owner).

More people need to be made aware of this.

[–] Hackworth@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago
[–] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 47 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Onion should allow Musk to block the sale of the Twitter handle, then sue Alex Jones for falsely advertising the sale of an account he can't sell and sue Twitter for infringing on their trademark of the InfoWars brand.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 3 points 14 hours ago

Alex Jones had no say in what was being sold. The Court seized his assets and sold them to pay the people he owes.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 3 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

Of course he does. Did you think differently?

[–] Cornpop@lemmy.world 12 points 22 hours ago

He does though. Read the fine print. You are just allowed to use it. Not really surprising.

[–] DrDystopia@lemy.lol 21 points 1 day ago

It was always this way, on all platforms.

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 5 points 21 hours ago

It’s days like this that I’m just so happy and proud of myself for never doing the whole Twitter thing.

[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 1 points 15 hours ago

Good thing I did jackshit with my Twitter account and had it fully deactivated. It was hacked and posted some spam ads that I knew nothing about.

[–] hypeerror@sh.itjust.works 112 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So if X-itter accounts were to threaten persons or places that were in the interest of the state to protect that responsibility lies on Musk?

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 94 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gee wizz, I don't think you understand Capitalism at all. Musk gets the profits and you get the liability.

[–] hypeerror@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If only he were also trying to sue advertisers that no longer want to do business with him. It would be the perfect storm of what is good comes to me and what is bad is yours.

[–] oyo@lemm.ee 3 points 21 hours ago

I still don't understand how the fuck that worked. Why would any company risk doing business with shxitter after that?

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 16 hours ago

Yes. That's why you face criminal charges and if you dont moderate

[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 6 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

That pic, though: Peak American alpha males.

[–] DrDickHandler@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago

It's amazing how many "bro" dudes are riding their dicks.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 1 points 14 hours ago

alpha

Unpredictable behavior, unfit for the general public to interact with.

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago

You mean rich spoiled man-children who are nothing more than insecure adolescent tweens going through puberty and having sexually frustrated tantrums because girls just laugh at them, and their narcissism is so all-consuming that their only emotion is disdain and goal in all the world is more and more self-gratification and the insatiable pursuit of total control of everything, because they know deep down they will never ever be the recipients of genuine respect or admiration.

Yeah that's what I thought you said. Slight faux pas.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 2 points 23 hours ago

Fake tan. Fake hair.

[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 92 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Time to commit crimes with 'our' Twitter account

[–] ohellidk@sh.itjust.works 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

upload full length movies on there, newer ones preferably. it's elon's fault since he owns it all.

[–] xor@infosec.pub 5 points 1 day ago

probably a good tactic

[–] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 65 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They should totally host a mastodon instance at infowars URL

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

MinfoWars

m.infowars subdomain

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 12 points 1 day ago

I've already signed up

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Unrelated but can someone overdose on Ketamine?

[–] Cornpop@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

It’s practically impossible sadly. Have to take a absurd amount

[–] leisesprecher 4 points 1 day ago

Yes, but that means unconsciousness (and later death).

[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 1 points 23 hours ago

yes but I think I saw you have to take like 4 grams

[–] the_tab_key@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (10 children)

I hadn't logged into Twitter in years. Just signed in to delete my account. He can have it back.

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[–] superkret 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I mean, if someone lets me into their house, points me to a whiteboard with a pen and tells me to write whatever I want so the other people in the house can read it...
Do I own the whiteboard? Or the pen? Or have control over any of it?

No. The owner of the house can lock me out and wipe off or change what I wrote at their leisure.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

No but somebody else can own the creator of what was written on the board. That might be a bit weird in today's terms if it's a person, but if it's a company that wrote that stuff it can legally become somebody else's, which is what is happening with Infowars.

Twitter has always allowed a company to own their own account, and even transfer it and be used by multiple people. For example how Biden's account is used by his staff. But now X starts meddling with this specific case, which is very questionable.

And if you're going to say that "it's his own account"; lawyers were saying that his "personal brand" is too heavily intertwined with Infowars and that it should be part of the Infowars brand.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

A better analogy is i hand you a bullhorn and you shout at randos.

Do i own your words, even though it's my bullhorn? No.

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[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (11 children)

You do have some control, in the form of copyright. Also the analogy doesn’t hold up well since you’re not using their “pen” and they only let you reach inside through the window. And the audience is outside the house.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

And to continue that analogy- Twitter didn't assign the name, the user created it so they hold copyright on the name.

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[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not mine you faker. I never signed up for any of your crap.

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