In today’s opinion pages, two Guardian reporters write about the world’s wealthiest person (and everyone’s favourite billionaire) Elon Musk but from two different angles.
Kari Paul dives into the whistle-blower account that Twitter was not honest when presenting its information on bots to Musk, which the Tesla founder will leverage to get out of the $44 billion acquisition deal.
Arwa Mahdawi writes about the Tesla fanatics who want to prove to the world that the vehicle’s autonomous driving technology can safely stop before hitting a child. They attempt to prove this by using real children.
How Twitter’s whistle-blower could boost Elon Musk’s legal battle – The Guardian
Twitter’s former security chief turned whistle-blower, Peiter Zatko, alleged on Tuesday that the social media platform prioritised growth over dealing with spam accounts, had major security flaws and was running servers with outdated and vulnerable software.
If proven, the revelations would be a major boon for Musk in his court battle to pull out of the transaction to buy Twitter, which heads to a Delaware court in October.
But Anat Alon-Beck, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, says the timing of the whistle-blower’s claims is “amazing” for Musk.
“It’s almost like a script from the movies – this is very convenient for Musk,” said Alon-Beck while Musk’s legal team subpoenaed Zatko for more information. Read more here.
Why are Tesla fanatics putting their children in the path of moving cars? – The Guardian
Arwa Mahdawi writes as a parent she cannot comprehend what would come over others to test the self-driving capabilities of Tesla cars by getting children to stand in the way of the car while the autonomous driving mode is turned on to see whether the technology actually works.
Software CEO Dan O’Dowd is trying to get Tesla’s “full self-driving” programme banned after he claimed the car would mow down children in this mode and illustrated this by using a child-sized mannequin dressed in a safety vest, which was destroyed in the test.
Mahdawi writes, “Musk’s fans, who will not tolerate any criticism of the billionaire, immediately took issue with O’Dowd’s assertions and decided to conduct their own tests – using a real child.” Read more here.
Here’s what else we’re reading today:
Mpumelelo Mkhabela | Babita Deokaran faced politically connected procurement terrorists and lost – News24 (for subscribers)
OBITUARY | Vytjie Mentor: One of the first to raise alarm on state capture – News24 (for subscribers)
EDITORIAL: Is unemployment in SA really falling? Not so fast … – Financial Mail (for subscribers)
JUSTICE MALALA: The real reason Ramaphosa should go – Financial Mail (for subscribers)
EDITORIAL: Higher jobs rate gives solace, but hopes remain dashed – Business Day (for subscribers)
CAIPHUS KGOSANA | Is SA a failed state? It depends on how you look at it – Times LIVE (for subscribers)
EDITORIAL | Steenhuisen’s roadkill ‘lapse’ on air is a window into his views on women – Times LIVE (for subscribers)
Investing in more renewables without phasing out coal mining is not climate action – Daily Maverick
Reflections on the life of Ahmed Kathrada, a titan of SA democracy and equality – Daily Maverick
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
