Category Substack

Apr 9 2023

Elon Musk Calls Matt Taibbi a Liar – Substack CEO Responds, Defending Taibbi


Posted originally on the CTH on April 8, 2023 | Sundance

I’m not sure what is going on at the Twitter with Elon Musk, but apparently either his team is misleading their CEO, or Musk is just shooting from the hip.

In a reply to Matt Taibbi’s report about Substack content being blocked by Twitter and Taibbi’s decision to exit the Musk platform, the Twitter CEO fired back, calling Taibbi a liar.

(Source)

Twitter’s own internal checkers put a community note, citing the claims by Taibbi were essentially correct.   Then, Substack CEO Chris Best weighed in on the issue, claiming the assertions by Elon Musk were false and the weird claim about Taibbi being an employee of Substack is completely without merit.

Mediaite – […] Forbes reported Saturday that Best and other figures at Substack are being individually punished on Twitter now, too.

“To top it all off, it appears the Substack crew is being punished on Twitter in other ways. If you try to search co-founder Chris Best on Twitter, his profile doesn’t show up,” writes Matt Novak.

Musk’s claim that Taibbi is a paid employee was an obvious implication that he was shilling for his bosses rather than reporting honestly. An ironic line of attack, considering it’s the same charge leveled at Taibbi and the other Twitter Files journalists by Democrats during a House hearing. (read more)

It’s all weird…. which, I might add, is not unusual for events that take place in/around the intelligence apparatus of the U.S. government.

“Jack’s Magic Coffee Shop”… Just sayin’…

Apr 8 2023

Elon Musk’s Twitter Platform Blocks Substack Content from Distribution, Matt Taibbi Departs Twitter Leaving Access to Investigative Files Behind


Posted originally on the CTH on April 7, 2023 | Sundance | 

When CTH outlined the connection between DHS and Twitter in Jack’s Magic Coffee shop, many people thought it was nuts.

In the year since, DHS and FBI have been evidenced to have direct access to Twitter content controls, up to and including access code in the Twitter algorithm itself.  Not so crazy anymore.

When Elon Musk bought Twitter, CTH warned to refrain from forming opinion of the takeover because of the DHS network with it.  Either Musk did due diligence in the purchase and was aware of DHS attachment, or Musk didn’t know of the scale of DHS involvement.  Both possibilities painted a rather odd perspective of the Musk motive.

The latest development upon the new Twitter platform, includes Twitter no longer permitting Substack authors to promote their articles. “Twitter is now blocking likes, retweets, and comments on tweets that include a link to a Substack newsletter. In addition, Twitter users cannot pin a tweet that includes a Substack link to their profile.”  Apparently, Twitter views the growth of Substack as a business threat.

Unfortunately, that leaves a Substack author like Matt Taibbi in a tough position; especially because he is one of the lead independent journalists highlighting the findings within a review of Twitter’s prior corporate correspondence and networking with DHS officials, also known as “the Twitter files.”  As a result, Taibbi was forced to choose between Twitter and Substack.  His decision, below: