"Free speech" advocate Elon Musk attempts to silence critics in China

[NxNW]

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China​

The carmaker is resorting to lawsuits to contain months of bad press.

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China

In the past six months, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant has filed defamation claims against at least two Chinese citizens who raised concerns about the safety and quality of its vehicles. Tesla alleges the individuals groundlessly damaged its reputation and is asking for steep compensation. Meanwhile, the company’s in-house lawyers have taken to threatening social media personalities who publish similar views with legal action, demanding they retract the posts and apologize publicly.

While it’s “really rare” for companies to sue customers in China, “Tesla is using litigation to dampen the confidence of individual consumers in safeguarding their rights and, therefore, to forestall actions from other customers,” says Zhang Xiaoling, a partner at Haodong Law Firm in Beijing who specializes in consumer issues. With sophisticated data-analysis capabilities and deep pockets, carmakers make formidable courtroom opponents. “That brings more uncertainties and risks for consumers in the litigation,” Zhang says.

 

[disciple Clint]

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China​

The carmaker is resorting to lawsuits to contain months of bad press.

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China

In the past six months, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant has filed defamation claims against at least two Chinese citizens who raised concerns about the safety and quality of its vehicles. Tesla alleges the individuals groundlessly damaged its reputation and is asking for steep compensation. Meanwhile, the company’s in-house lawyers have taken to threatening social media personalities who publish similar views with legal action, demanding they retract the posts and apologize publicly.

While it’s “really rare” for companies to sue customers in China, “Tesla is using litigation to dampen the confidence of individual consumers in safeguarding their rights and, therefore, to forestall actions from other customers,” says Zhang Xiaoling, a partner at Haodong Law Firm in Beijing who specializes in consumer issues. With sophisticated data-analysis capabilities and deep pockets, carmakers make formidable courtroom opponents. “That brings more uncertainties and risks for consumers in the litigation,” Zhang says.

So China has its own cars to sell and is attempting to undermine the competition.

 

[HTacianas]

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China​

The carmaker is resorting to lawsuits to contain months of bad press.

Tesla Takes Customers to Court to Silence Its Critics in China

In the past six months, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant has filed defamation claims against at least two Chinese citizens who raised concerns about the safety and quality of its vehicles. Tesla alleges the individuals groundlessly damaged its reputation and is asking for steep compensation. Meanwhile, the company’s in-house lawyers have taken to threatening social media personalities who publish similar views with legal action, demanding they retract the posts and apologize publicly.

While it’s “really rare” for companies to sue customers in China, “Tesla is using litigation to dampen the confidence of individual consumers in safeguarding their rights and, therefore, to forestall actions from other customers,” says Zhang Xiaoling, a partner at Haodong Law Firm in Beijing who specializes in consumer issues. With sophisticated data-analysis capabilities and deep pockets, carmakers make formidable courtroom opponents. “That brings more uncertainties and risks for consumers in the litigation,” Zhang says.

Libel is not free speech.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Libel is not free speech.

Raising concerns about safety and quality isn't libel.

 

[HTacianas]

Raising concerns about safety and quality isn't libel.

Only if they are true. And they'll have every opportunity to prove it.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Only if they are true. And they'll have every opportunity to prove it.

What is Libel? - Freedom Forum

Not all speech is protected by the First Amendment.

www.freedomforum.org

An opinion is not libel.

To win a libel lawsuit, a private person must prove the publisher of the false statements acted negligently. Negligence means that the publisher didn’t do their homework. Even if the publisher didn’t know that the information was false when released, they can still be on the hook for libel if they should have known.​

N.B.: laws in China may be different.