Elon Musk accuses Zuckerberg of shielding Meta from accountability in child exploitation scandal

Alleged failures to address key issues lead to growing tensions between high-profile industry leaders in tech world

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has accused Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg of succumbing to censorship pressures and failing to adequately address child exploitation issues on Instagram. Musk criticised Zuckerberg's handling of these problems, suggesting that Meta's response has been insufficient and that Zuckerberg has avoided legal consequences by allowing government access to user data.

Musk’s comments followed a post by German conservative activist Naomi Seibt, who questioned why Zuckerberg has not faced similar legal challenges as Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested in France over content moderation issues on his platform. Seibt’s post highlighted Instagram’s involvement in child trafficking and abuse cases, adding fuel to Musk's accusations.

In response, Musk stated that Instagram's child exploitation problem persists while Zuckerberg remains free, implying that censorship and government cooperation have shielded him from consequences. Musk’s remarks sparked a wave of online reactions, with many social media users expressing concerns over the prioritisation of censorship over more serious issues like child abuse.

Meanwhile, Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport in France, accused of complicity in crimes such as drug trafficking, allegedly facilitated by Telegram’s lack of content moderation. Telegram has faced growing criticism from authorities worldwide for its minimal efforts to curb misuse of the platform, leading some countries to attempt banning the app.

The rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg, often marked by public clashes, has once again intensified. Musk also recently criticised Meta for being overly aggressive in taking credit for advertising campaigns, contrasting it with his own companies' practices. The ongoing tension between the two tech moguls reached a peak when they once considered a "cage fight," a concept that caught public attention but was eventually abandoned.