X Corp. asserts control over user accounts, blocking transfer without consent.
X challenges The Onion's purchase of InfoWars, citing non-transferable account licenses.
Legal battle highlights growing questions over social media account ownership.
Elon Musk-owned X Corp, the social media platform has claimed its control over the social media accounts in an ongoing dispute related to the the sale of InfoWars, the conspiracy theory media company founded by Alex Jones. The claims made by the social media company is raising serious questions about the ownership of digital accounts and content in the modern internet age.
The Onion, a satirical news organisation has recently won the rights to InfoWars in an auction held as a part of legal judgments against Jones. The sale is a part of the liquidation process following a $1.4 billion defamation verdict in favor of the families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, whom Jones falsely accused of being actors in a staged event. During the liquidation process, Jones’s assets including the InfoWars, were put up for auctions to pay off the debt.
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However, a company linked to Jones has questioned the validity of the takeover taking the verdict to the court battle. On Monday, X took a legal way stating that the media accounts associated with InfoWars cannot be transferred without its consent, arguing that all user accounts are inherently part of X’s services.
In its court filing, X stated, “Put simply, accounts are inherently part of X Corp.’s Services and their ‘use.’ A user must use X Corp.’s Services to create an account in the first instance and to continue using the account going forward,” according to a report with knowledge. The social media platform claimed control of the accounts and not the content on the accounts.
The filing continued, “While X Corp. takes no position as to the sale of any Content posted on the X Accounts, X Corp. is the sole owner of the Services being sold as part of the sale of the X Accounts,” the report added.
X further claimed that the licenses granted to account holders like Jones and his entities are not transferable without the company’s consent. The report further added that Musk’s company is attempting to block The Onion’s purchase over his political affiliations, especially his connections to far-right figures like Jones.
However, the ongoing legal battle is expected to bring more clarity for the users about how social media platforms control user accounts and content, particularly as the digital landscape continues to evolve.
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