Elon Musk has jumped on the #deletefacebook train, deleting the pages for SpaceX and Tesla from the disgraced social media site and erasing their millions-strong followings.
In case you’ve been living in seclusion for the last week or so, Facebook has found itself embroiled in a scandal involving a data analysis firm that is quickly becoming one of the messiest kerfuffles in the site’s history. If you want to know the essential details and how it effects you, read Bryan’s breakdown.
In response, the hashtag #deletefacebook has started trending on Twitter. Musk originally joined the conversation with a snarky response to WhatsApp founder Brian Acton:
What’s Facebook?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 23, 2018
After that, multiple users justifiably asked him why he was allowing Facebook pages for his companies to remain up. In response, he pleaded ignorance of their existence — though I’m pretty sure he’s got staff that handle that stuff for both companies.
I didn’t realize there was one. Will do.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 23, 2018
Then he apparently followed through, as the SpaceX and Tesla pages on Facebook no longer appear to be there.
He declined to delete his Instagram, though. When asked, he said he believed it was independent enough to be “probably ok.” It should be noted Musk is far more active on Instagram than he ever was on Facebook.
During all this, Mashable reporter Kerry Flynn brought up an issue between Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — namely that a SpaceX rocket once destroyed a Facebook satellite.
Yeah, my fault for being an idiot. We did give them a free launch to make up for it and I think they had some insurance.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 23, 2018
The two have also clashed in a more passive aggressive manner, when Zuckerberg was asked about Musk’s reservations about AI and responded by calling him a naysayer. Musk responded by saying Zuckerberg’s understanding of AI was “limited.”
It’s possible the pages will eventually be reinstated, if this current scandal ever blows over. If not, they’ll be the most high-profile casualty of the #deletefacebook movement thus far.
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