As expected, Eloï Musk, CEO of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), announced that the well-known actor Robert de Niro had permanently left the platform. Musk named de Niro’s “Woke Presence” as the main reason for this decision and thus triggered a violent debate.

Musk made the decision in a contribution in which he explained: “At X we promote open discussions and creating space for one -sided, politically charged arguments. Robert de Niro’s party rhetoric contradicts this mission. There is no space for its conscious presence on this platform.”

De Niro, known for his blunt political views and his frequent criticism of conservative personalities, loudly commented on Musk’s leadership style and his views on the freedom of expression. Last year, de Niro’s contributions to X sharp criticism of Musk’s politics and accused him of spreading misinformation and promoting split ideologies.

Musk’s position, however, positioned X as a haven of free expression and often allowed controversial personalities to express their views. However, his decision to fire de Niro threw questions about the consistency of this principle. Critics argue that the discharge underlines a double standard in Musk politics, while supporters believe that it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the platform.

The Bape has divided public opinion. Musk’s supporters welcomed the step and claimed that he was a necessary step to contain Hollywood’s “Woke” influence on social discourse. An outrageous hashtag, #goodbyediro, was created, with which Musk’s decision used to make a decision, to make a decision against the attitude they referred to as “elite arrogance”.

On the other hand, De Niro’s family and advocate of free expression condemned the action as a censorship. Celebrities from Hollywood and politics supported the actor, some even called for a boycott of X.

Several actors and directors have supported de Niro. In a joint explanation, they emphasized how important it was that platforms such as X offer space for different points of view, even if they question popular arguments. “This campaign creates a dangerous precedent,” said actor Mark Ruffalo. “If a platform claims to support freedom of expression, it cannot arbitrarily silence voices with which it does not agree.”

The murder has re -sparked the debate about the role of social media in the regulation of public life and the illustration of public persons. For Musk, he raises further questions about his leadership style and his vision of X as a space for open dialogue.

It remains to be seen whether this step will attract or sell users. While some Musk’s decision regard as a brave leadership, others consider it a worrying transition towards an authoritarian control of the discourse on the platform.

So far, de Niro has not yet publicly commented on his death. However, his environment suspects that he could use this incident to underpin his criticism of Musk’s politics in other public forums.

This controversy illustrates the complex challenges that are associated with the balance between freedom of expression and political moderation in the age of social media, and focuses on Musks X at the center of another cultural focus.