Elon Musk posted "use Signal" on 1/7/21

[LessAspin]

Oh FFS. Elon Musk posted “use Signal” on 1/7/21, the day after the goddamn insurrection. If there was any doubt as to his intended audience, Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys national chairman, cleared it right up. @January6thCmte @RepRaskin

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

1. Musk was a cheerleader for the insurrectionists

Link to tweet

[brush]

3. What does "use signal" mean?

[CurtEastPoint]

6. oh some stupid messaging app. FFS

[Lucky Luciano]

11. Highly encrypted untraceable messaging app.

[brush]

12. Ok, so what was he asking people to do?

[jmowreader]

13. It sounds to me...

…like he wanted them to go to this app to get together and “get their story straight.”

[Lucky Luciano]

14. Either to not get busted bragging about being an insurrectionist...or trying to kill WhatsApp.

Enrique Tarrio, one of the worst humans alive, certainly interpreted it the first way.

[2Gingersnaps]

21. Get off Facebook, Parler, GAb, GETTR, 4 Chan, 8 Chan and Reddit where they are known to be,

and bury their organizing, plotting, criminal activity a little deeper electronically.

[brush]

27. Ahhhhh. Thanks. He's a danger.

I fear twitter will become a sewer of extremist, insurrectionist, Putin-loving screeds if Musk get's his version of free speech installed.

[uponit7771]

52. +1,

[JCMach1]

32. Pointing out to people how to avoid prosecution

[SergeStorms]

2. Musk apologists in 3....2....1...

There's more than a few on DU.

Fewer for me now, due to the miracle of the ignore button. 😊

[Jm7603]

4. I have started to wonder if the Musk fanboys are

on his payroll somehow. They can't truly be believing much of what they say. Trolls, maybe?

[LessAspin]

8. Yes...

I've thought this for a while now. It would certainly be a relatively inexpensive and effective use of his public relations efforts.

Until recently I was agnostic when it came to Elon. Never saw the appeal but he seemed harmless enough. Elon has quickly disabused me of those notions.

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=303155

[dalton99a]

28. +1. The significance of Signal among the coup plotters:

[SergeStorms]

9. I don't believe they're trolls...

since some of them have been DU members since Musk was still in High School. Paid? Could be, but I doubt it.

I think they're impressed with his wealth and business acumen, such as it is.

Who knows for sure, but they are a loyal and vociferous group.

[Jm7603]

10. It is hard to change one's opinion once formed. I

think we all thought highly of Musk at first. As evidence keeps coming out of his new(?) RW leanings and dangerous positions as a person able to buy virtually any form of influence he wants, I have changed my mind and moved on to fear and trepidation. I truly hope I am wrong and he really is just a goofy oddball with great business acumen.

[SergeStorms]

18. I've always looked at him as a "goofy oddball".

In his early years I thought he was harmless. I'm now convinced that isn't so.

[Cozmo]

36. What's there to like about him???

[yaesu]

29. I just figured they had money in his stock & were just looking after their own interests

I don't like the guy because he spouts fascist ideology & I generally dislike people who suck so much wealth out of the country. He is smart & has taken technology to a whole new level, I will give him that.

[Jm7603]

39. Could be. That does make sense.

Plenty of companies to invest in out there that are not run by total assholes, but to each his own. And sometimes the worst companies are pretty good at hiding their evil ways. Musk just doesn't seem to care.

[Ohio Joe]

50. Been here a month and calling DU'ers paid trolls?

[Jm7603]

51. Yeah, sorry. I'm outta DU. I thought it was a group

of voters that thought we should support Democrats and their principles against the nuts out there. Musk says the Democrats are extremists and the left has gone insane and some think that is fine. I didn't name anyone or attack anyone. Just wondered out loud. This is not the group for me. Buhbye. Wish I could get my donation back. I was excited to be here.....

[Hoyt]

7. Yeah, we don't post dubious crud just to bash someone like Musk, Bragg, etc.

[Hoyt]

5. PC Mag said he did it to discourage people from using WhatsApp that changed privacy policy on Jan 4.

Maybe people ought to check things before posting.

Musk tweets 'Use Signal' in an apparent attempt to discourage people from using WhatsApp, which has been asking users to agree to a new privacy policy.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/elon-musk-tells-followers-to-use-signal-messaging-app-amid-whatsapp-privacy

Elon Musk asks people to use Signal app instead of WhatsApp and Facebook over privacy issues

https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-asks-people-to-use-signal-app-instead-of-whatsapp-and-facebook-over-privacy-issues-355704

However, it is generally understood that his advice came in response to WhatsApp’s new terms of service published on January 4.
The messenger, which uses Signal software, has said that users will have to consent to allowing the app to share their data with its parent company Facebook if they wish to continue using it.

https://english.alarabiya.net/business/technology/2021/01/11/Explainer-Why-is-Elon-Musk-telling-people-to-use-the-Signal-app-

[stopdiggin]

15. Yeah. The connection (Musk/Tarrio) is tenuous

if not entirely imaginary. And Signal has been around (and in considerable use by a large swath of people - including LE, business, tech leaders and pols) for a fair amount of time.

No fan of Musk (and that goes back well beyond his latest 'twitch') - but I think I'll stick to criticizing people for their actual sins (or real associations).

[liberal_patriot_md]

17. Signal

Was also used extensively between Kushner and Bonesaw.

[stopdiggin]

23. and all manner of other people

who have a modicum of interest in privacy (for whatever reason). And in fact - it's mind numbingly brainless that so many (Jan 6th and otherwise) continue to be tripped up by texting about their stupidity and ill deeds. Just how dumb are you anyway? (meaning the cheaters and malefactors of course)

[liberal_patriot_md]

16. Sure.

It took him three days to respond to a change in privacy policy that just somehow was a day after the insurrection.

[Hoyt]

19. Seems pretty obvious they are not connected, but Musk haters aren't after truth.

[2Gingersnaps]

24. Anymore than Musk fluffers, just saying.

[Hoyt]

25. At least I don't resort to offensive terms like-- "fluffers." Just saying.

[2Gingersnaps]

60. Offensive? I didn't know Musk fanboys were so thin skinned. He can sure dish it.

And he certainly likes to crush others free speech or human rights. Hysterical that your avatar is Woody Guthrie, who would be utterly repulsed by everything Musk stands for. He sure thought very poorly of "Old Man Trump."

In my defense, I thought fluffer was a goofy name for a dog, you know, like "Putin's Poodle", so When you took offense, I googled.

"Fluffer is also a name for fluffy dogs in DoggoLingo, an internet language of affectionate terms for dogs and other animals, like pupper and smol, that took off in the 2010s. Fluffers also answer to an even fluffier name: floof, entered on Urban Dictionary by 2008."

I had no idea what the other meaning was, never heard of it, probably because I don't travel in those ***ahem*** "art forms."

Had I known I would have used a more formal "lap dog." Block me, I have read you in other posts, you can be certain I will block you. Misogynists and racists are not my cup of tea.

[Hoyt]

61. Block away. Show one racist or misogynistic post from me. You can't.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

26. post a bit of detail and truth...and the musky outrage! evaporates. Funny how that works.

[uponit7771]

53. His timing was just dead on day after US being attacked by traitors and needed to hide their ...

... messaging.

I don't blame people for ***NOT*** giving him the benefit of the doubt

[Hoyt]

55. Few days after the competitor changed privacy policy. There is no evidence

Musk is involved in Jan 6th crud, other than hateful speculation from detractors swiftboating him.

And, whether you believe it or not, he won’t kick you off Twitter for your opinion, if the deal even goes through.

[uponit7771]

56. Again, there's rational solid reasons not to give Musk benefit of the doubt. Few would be shocked or

... surprised if he was directly involved.

[Celerity]

58. thanks for this background post

[Jerry2144]

20. it's a good thing the Constitution

only allows natural-born citizens to be president. He seems to want to follow Agolf Twitler's lead.

But since he appears to have hatched from some egg (Silurian, perhaps) he doesn't meet the natural born, or human, requirement

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

57. That can be changed.

[jalan48]

22. This what an oligarchy looks and sounds like.

[KS Toronado]

30. Does Musk have his sights set on being President some day?

Many political seats are won by those who have the most money to throw at advertising their lies & bullshit.
Musk has a lot of $$$$$$

[JCMach1]

33. He was not born in America

[KS Toronado]

40. Thanks for jogging my memory, I forgot

[Mr.Bill]

38. He won't need to be president.

He'll just buy one.

[dalton99a]

42. +1. He can buy at least 50% of Congress with his spare change

Maybe $1M-5M apiece for the House of Representatives, $10M-50M apiece for the Senate

[JCMach1]

43. We will find out pretty soon if he has more money or hubris

Stick a pin in it ... There is something off about Musk

[KS Toronado]

44. Yea, he can afford to buy more than one.

and not have the headaches that come with the job.

[uponit7771]

54. +1, MAGA pols are cheap

[Oscarthegreat]

31. Musk and January 6

Does any anyone know if Elon Musk ever condemned the January 6 coup attempt? I know he has condemned the Democratic party for being taken over by "extremists", in response to their support of labor unions, which hates above all, but I don't recall him ever condeming or saying anything negative about Trump or the January 6 coup.

[Hoyt]

35. Well, Musk did blame Jan 6th on Facebook and Zuckerberg. People here would probably agree, EXCEPT

for fact Musk said it.

[IronLionZion]

34. There is tremendous overlap between conservatives and anti-semitic Hitler supporters

so that can cause confusion for some people

But seriously, using Nazi filters catches a lot of conservatives including elected Republican officials.

Why Won’t Twitter Treat White Supremacy Like ISIS? Because It Would Mean Banning Some Republican Politicians Too.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3xgq5/why-wont-twitter-treat-white-supremacy-like-isis-because-it-would-mean-banning-some-republican-politicians-too

[bucolic_frolic]

37. I think Musk is a loose cannon who speaks before he thinks because he believes he's a stable genius

But I could be reading tea leaves from the CEO Playbook

[CaptainTruth]

41. I did not have "buy Twitter & display his political ignorance to the world"...

...on my "What Will Elon Musk Do Next?" bingo card, but here we are.

[Ziggysmom]

45. Hope Tesla workers unionize, they're gonna need it!

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084366833/elon-musk-dares-united-autoworkers-to-try-to-unionize-tesla

[CaptainTruth]

46. Political trends in America 2008-2021 aren't rocket science...

...as evidenced by the fact that Elon Musk understands one topic but not the other.

[LT Barclay]

47. Any better argument for taxing the wealthy and actually funding programs including NASA?

I know we have many other priorities also, but I'm tired of the extremely wealthy being the ones to decide where public funding goes.

[BobTheSubgenius]

48. Perhaps two words isn't enough to convey advice that detailed.

[Blue Owl]

49. The MAGA Muskrat