Elon Musk to pay legal fees of users 'unfairly treated' by an employer for posting on X

The owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter says he will 'go after the boards of directors of the companies, too'

Musk made his announcement on X on Sunday. Reuters

Elon Musk has posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will fund the legal bills of those treated "unfairly" by an employer for using his site.

“If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill,” he wrote to his 151.7 million followers on Sunday.

“No limit. Please let us know.”

The announcement has garnered more than 275,000 likes and has been reposted more than 60,000 times, with many users reacting positively to the news.

“That's amazing. It brings fairness and transparency with work ethics and integrity in all workplaces. Thank you, Elon Musk,” wrote one user.

“Finally, some good news!” added another.

Musk also replied to another post that said nothing changes behaviour in the US faster than a threat of legal action. Musk wrote: “And we won’t just sue, it will be extremely loud and we will go after the boards of directors of the companies, too.”

Some users, however, were unclear about the practicalities of the announcement.

“Considering the old scenarios of going back and forth on the statements made, it will be more helpful if Twitter and Elon Musk could define the terms such as 'unfairly', 'treated', 'employer', fund' etc,” wrote one user.

“He probably should have put some kind of limit. This is going to add up fast,” added a second user.

In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion.

Since then, he has implemented several changes to the social media site, many of which have drawn criticism from the public and notable personalities and celebrities who have left it in protest.

These changes include mass redundancies, algorithm adjustments, alterations to the verification process and a subscription service named Twitter Blue, with features such as the ability to edit tweets. Musk also plans to transform the platform into an all-inclusive app where users can read the news, make payments, order food and express their opinions without consequence.

One of the biggest transformations came last month, as Musk rebranded Twitter to X and changed the logo from the recognisable blue bird to a white "X" against a black background.