As Americans vote in a highly contested presidential election, Elon Musk finds himself at the center of legal turmoil. Tesla CEO and X (formerly Twitter) owner Musk faces a lawsuit over his $1 million-a-day giveaway campaign, which promised cash rewards to voters endorsing the Constitution. Musk, a vocal supporter of Republican candidate Donald Trump, launched the campaign to boost engagement among voters, sparking controversy over its legitimacy.
Arizona resident Jacqueline McAferty recently filed a class-action lawsuit in Austin, Texas, alleging that Musk's campaign misled participants. According to McAferty, the promotion promised randomly selected winners but instead manipulated outcomes for profit. The lawsuit claims that Musk's organization, America PAC, used the campaign to increase traffic to X and collect personal information, including names, addresses, and phone numbers. The collected data, the suit argues, was intended for potential sale, raising privacy concerns among participants.
McAferty's case isn't the only legal scrutiny Musk's campaign has attracted. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner previously sought to halt the giveaway, calling it an "illegal lottery." Although a Philadelphia judge denied Krasner's request to stop the campaign, the ruling has brought further attention to the promotion's ethical and legal standing. The judge's decision was largely symbolic, as Musk reportedly does not plan to continue the cash prizes beyond Election Day. Still, the court case has heightened concerns over the validity of Musk's promises and his campaign's real intentions.
The lawsuit, representing thousands who participated in the campaign, seeks over $5 million in damages. The complaint states that the misleading nature of the promotion caused harm to participants who believed in its legitimacy. As of this report, Musk has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Musk Accuses Google of Search Bias Amid Election
In a separate incident, Musk stirred controversy by accusing Google of favoring Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in its search results. In a post on X, Musk shared his concern that searching for "where can I vote for Harris" on Google yielded polling information, allegedly aiding Harris's visibility. Musk claimed that a similar search for Trump didn't produce equivalent results.
Google promptly responded, clarifying that its "where to vote" feature sometimes triggers location-based results when search terms align with county names, like "Harris" in Texas. Google explained that its search algorithm occasionally prioritizes county-related queries, an issue the company says it's actively working to address. According to Google, only a small portion of users see these specific search results, but the controversy has revived debates over alleged search engine bias.
Musk's comments echo longstanding Republican concerns about perceived partisan bias in big tech platforms. Former President Trump has repeatedly voiced his criticism of Google, alleging that its search algorithms favor Democratic content over Republican interests. With Google affirming it will refine its search functions, the dispute underscores the tension between tech giants and political figures over fair representation in digital spaces.
As Election Day unfolds, both Musk's giveaway campaign and his claims against Google continue to stir political and legal debates. With a substantial class-action lawsuit pending and accusations of media bias flaring, Musk's involvement in this election may leave a lasting impact beyond the voting booths.
