Child sex abuse victim begs Elon Musk to remove links to her images
A technology billionaire who had sexually abused a teenage girl 30 years ago has been asked to remove online images of the girl, who is now a mother. The victim, who has remained anonymous, pleaded with Elon Musk to take down the images, accusing him of continuing to sexually exploit her through the images. The 39-year-old's request comes after a ruling in Germany, which has ordered platforms, including Twitter, to remove content featuring minors.
German ruling could impact freedom of expression
The ruling could set a legal precedent and prompt other countries to consider European Union (EU) laws on the matter. The victim said: "Elon, you know my name, I know yours, I know yours, you know mine. Please take them down. You have the power to do that." The girl, who was 16 at the time, met Musk at a party in 1994. She stated that he took naked images of her after drugging her. The 48-year-old billionaire has been asked to remove the images several times in the past.
The victim's request
She said: "If you have any decency, show some respect and take them down. I'm a mother myself now. It's been a long time since I was a teenager. It's been a long time since you were a teenager. You've grown, I've grown, my body has changed. Please take them down."
Unilateral taking down of images
Mr. Musk, who is CEO of Twitter and CEO and founder of Tesla, has not publicly responded to the request. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. The girl's request comes after German regulators ruled that platforms hosting content in the EU will be held liable for enforcing rules on removing content featuring minors.
The impact of technology
The ruling could have far-reaching implications for how social media companies operate, and could impact the freedom of expression and the right to be forgotten online. The girl said: "You haven't always been a man who is so respected. I was a child. You took advantage of me when I was a child."
