Elon Musk's X has intervened in the sale of Alex Jones' bankrupt Infowars assets, claiming ownership of its social media accounts and arguing that users do not own their profiles.
In 2022, Alex Jones and Infowars were sued for defamation by families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, resulting in a $1.4 billion judgment. Jones' company, Free Speech Systems, subsequently filed for bankruptcy, Variety reported.
In an auction earlier this month, The Onion became a top bidder, aiming to repurpose Infowars into a satirical platform. However, X (formerly Twitter) contested the inclusion of Infowars' X accounts in the deal, claiming that its terms of service grant only non-transferable usage rights, not ownership.
The sale of Infowars remains under judicial review, with the bankruptcy court set to decide whether The Onion's bid will stand. The Onion's $1.75 million cash bid was selected thanks to support from the Sandy Hook affected families.
X's legal filing challenges the transfer of Infowars' accounts, including @infowars and @BANNEDdotVIDEO, arguing they are the sole property of the company. The bankruptcy court will hold a hearing next month to resolve disputes about the auction process and X's ownership rights.
If The Onion's bid is upheld, Infowars may realize its intended transformation into a satirical outlet. Should the court approve the sale, The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars in early 2025, replacing its conspiracy-driven content with satirical takes on internet culture.
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