According to Odaily, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has called on Elon Musk to moderate his rhetoric in the ongoing debate over H1B visas. Musk has been vocally defending the rights of immigrants holding H1B visas to work in U.S. companies, which has sparked controversy. While Buterin admires Musk's commitment to free speech, he urges him to avoid extreme language and not misuse social media censorship.
Musk's support for top U.S. companies hiring foreign tech workers has drawn criticism from conservatives on the platform X, who argue that American hiring practices are increasingly unfavorable to local citizens. Some conservatives have accused Musk's social media platform X of censorship, alleging that it removed key features from accounts critical of Musk's stance on the H1B visa issue.
"It's easy to respect free speech when we agree with it, but it's challenging when we find it objectionable," Buterin stated. "However, the reasons for respecting free speech remain the same: the control of bans today by one group could be controlled by another tomorrow." He advised Musk to be mindful of his tone and ensure that his influence on X benefits humanity.
Buterin emphasized the significant role leaders play in setting the tone, which can be used for great good or harm. He also criticized the use of the 'banhammer'—an informal term for moderators or administrators removing users for misconduct—as an ineffective measure of speech control. "Ultimately, public discourse either becomes divided or monolithic, with the victor being the one wielding the largest hammer, not the one with the best arguments, or it devolves into perpetual conflict among all parties," Buterin concluded.