Ripple CTO Slams Elon Musk For Plans Of Imposing Charges On New X Users

In a recent turn of events, the digital landscape has been stirred by Elon Musk’s proposition to implement charges for new users on the platform X. The proposal, aimed at handling the major issue of spam and fake accounts, has ignited a fiery debate among tech stalwarts. These include notable figures such as Ripple Labs CTO David Schwartz ZachXBT, and of course, Elon Musk himself.

Ripple CTO Slams Elon Musk For Latest Move

In a post on X, Elon Musk defended the necessity of imposing charges on new users. Moreover, he citing the rampant usage of bots and the lack of unique usernames as primary concerns. In a post on X, Musk wrote, “Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.”

In addition, he further underscored the challenges posed by fake accounts. Moreover, Musk emphasized the need for stringent measures to safeguard user experience. However, not everyone shares Musk’s sentiments. Adding fuel to the fire, David Schwartz, the CTO at Ripple Labs, vehemently criticized Musk’s stance.

Schwartz accused Musk of compromising the fundamental principles of free speech on the platform in favor of convenience. He stated, “Now, keeping some lawful speech off X just because it’s annoying is so important that you’re going to change the fundamental dynamics of the site to make it possible?!”

Additionally, the Ripple CTO emphasized the distinction between combatting bots and stifling legitimate discourse. Moreover, he condemned the prioritization of convenience over free expression. Ripple CTO Schwartz’s condemnation sparked a debate on the nature of censorship and the importance of protecting diverse viewpoints.

In response to a user’s assertion that silencing robots differs from silencing political speech, Schwartz concurred, emphasizing the subjective nature of censorship. Furthermore, the Ripple CTO argued that while annoying speech may detract from the platform’s quality, it should not be grounds for censorship.

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ZachXBT Joins The Debate

When asked about potential solutions to the problem at hand, Schwartz proposed a simple yet profound remedy: thoughtful consideration before speaking. Ripple’s Schwartz asserted, “The problem of people saying incredibly dumb things without thinking about them for even a second can be solved by people thinking for a few seconds before they speak.”

Moreover, ZachXBT, a Web3 sleuth, voiced skepticism regarding the efficacy of such measures. He highlighted the prevalence of verified scam accounts and questioned whether Elon Musk‘s proposed strategy would yield the desired results.

ZachXBT proved his point with the snapshot of a fake Wormhole account with a verified tick that attempted to scam users with fraudulent airdrop posts. ZachXBT wrote, “Not sure I agree this will bring the results you think it will. There are hundreds of business verified scam accounts every week which scammers pay thousands of dollars for.”

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