Elon Musk pushes back after AOC blasts Twitter’s "free speech," paid plan

Twitter owner Elon Musk, left, at the Met Gala in New York City on May 2, 2022; Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, right, during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 2022. Musk pushed back on Wednesday after Ocasio-Cortez criticized him over the recent announcement of a "subscription plan" on Twitter. Left: Alexi Rosenfeld/GC Images, Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has denounced Elon Musk for pushing "free speech" on Twitter while offering an $8 per month "blue check" plan, prompting the billionaire to jokingly demand she "pay $8."

Musk, who took ownership and control of Twitter last week, has faced backlash over concerns that his stance as a "free speech absolutist" will allow misinformation to run rampant on the platform. His plan to offer users a paid "verification" option, which includes "priority" for subscribers, has sparked additional concerns that the plan will enable misinformation and stifle speech for those who do not pay.

Ocasio-Cortez mocked Musk's paid plan in a tweet on Tuesday night, while suggesting that he was attempting to deceive Twitter users into believing that payment is required for free speech.

"Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that 'free speech' is actually a $8/mo subscription plan," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

Musk responded to Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday, tweeting, "Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8." Musk pinned the tweet to his Twitter profile soon after.

The new Twitter owner's response was shared and supported by figures such as Donald Trump Jr., who accused Ocasio-Cortez of being unable to "grasp the basic concept of tax breaks/incentives" and depriving New York City of over 25,000 new jobs by opposing the company's plan to build a new headquarters in the city.

"I'm certain she shouldn't be handing out financial advice to anyone let alone Elon Musk," Trump Jr. tweeted.

The Democratic congresswoman defended her opposition to the Amazon plan at the time by arguing that she had saved the city "billions" in "handouts" and "corporate giveaways."

Before Musk responded, venture capitalist and Musk associate David Sacks responded to Ocasio-Cortez's criticism of the Twitter subscription plan by asking why newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post were not "free," adding "their billionaire owners should stop being greedy and give us those products for free."

"Are you seriously equating an app where people are torrenting racial slurs at an accelerated clip with the New York Times," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response, alongside a "rolling on the floor laughing" emoji.

"Also fyi, legacy newspapers actually care about verifying newsworthy sources," she continued. "And they don't charge their journalists/creators for 'priority' placement."

In a subsequent tweet, Ocasio-Cortez went on to call "billionaire ownership of our news sources" a "legitimate problem."

"Hope you're using your power to stop private equity gutting of local newsrooms while supporting nonprofit and co-op modeled news outlets as well," she told Sacks.

Musk's plan for paid verification has received backlash from both ends of the political spectrum, including from some who have expressed concerns that the option could make it easier to impersonate public figures or organizations.

On Wednesday, Twitter's top trending topic was #RatVerified, which mocks the plan by encouraging people to place rat emojis next to their usernames to become "rat verified" for free.

Musk's stance on "free speech" and misinformation was the subject of mockery on Tuesday, when #TrumpIsDead trended alongside false and often absurd reports claiming that former President Donald Trump had died.

Newsweek reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office and Twitter for comment.

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Elon Musk pushes back after AOC blasts Twitter's "free speech," paid plan