'Dangerous For Our Democracy': Warren, Markey Blast Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover
BOSTON (CBS) -- Massachusetts senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey on Tuesday reacted to the news that Elon Musk is acquiring Twitter for $44 billion - and both used the word "dangerous."
"One billionaire—whose estimated net worth has gotten about 10 times larger since the start of the pandemic—is about to have the power to decide how millions of people can communicate with each other," Warren tweeted. "It's dangerous for our democracy to have so much power in so few hands."
Markey also echoed Warren's concerns about the uber-rich running social media networks.
"Elon Musk and a handful of billionaires now have dangerous influence over the most powerful online platforms," he said. "They can't be trusted, and self-regulation has failed. We must pass laws to protect privacy and promote algorithmic justice for internet users, especially for kids."
Musk has repeatedly highlighted "free speech" since making the deal to take charge of Twitter.
"The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all," he tweeted Tuesday.
Warren also got into a spat with Musk last year after the billionaire was named Time's "Person of the Year."