Tesla CEO Elon Musk slammed the short video-sharing app TikTok on Saturday, claiming that some people believe it is destroying civilization.
On the other hand, Musk stressed that such sentiments should not be magnified.
The tweet came days after the CEO told his employees in a meeting that if Twitter wants to reach one billion users, it needs to become more like WeChat and TikTok.
“There’s no WeChat equivalent outside of China. You basically live on WeChat in China. If we can recreate that with Twitter, we’ll be a great success,” he proposed during the virtual meeting.
According to The Verge, Musk answered a question from an employee by saying that people should be allowed to “say pretty outrageous things within the law” but that such speech should not necessarily be encouraged.
Musk’s recent remarks generated a flood of responses. Some suggested him to buy TikTok and destroy it to save humanity. Others have mocked him by saying that “Dogecoin” is the “final hope” for humanity’s survival.
“As a civilization, individuals are prioritizing TikTok movies and social media over collective emphasis on becoming a technologically competent species,” a Twitter user said. “Sadly, dreams of living to see intergalactic travel are fading.”
“The fact that you think a clock is doing more damage than your rocket fuel tells everything,” another user remarked. Learn about global warming, consider what you’ve learned, and then try typing.”
This might not be Elon’s first time criticizing digital platforms. He also spoke out against Twitter, even though the company’s acquisition was on hold. Furthermore, he questioned whether the app was “dying” after negotiating an outrageous $44 billion offer.
Since Musk believes TikTok is destructive for civilization, he may acquire it and become the ruler of all social media networks.