Editorial: It will be up to governments and not Musk to regulate Twitter

The billionaire’s expected takeover of the platform may turn out well or badly, but the outrage over it is a trifle contrived

Elon Musk describes Twitter as a sort of global public square, and declares himself an “absolutist” on the issue of free speech

Elon Musk can claim to be the most successful entrepreneur of the 21st century. He has transformed the global car industry with Tesla, the electric-vehicle maker he founded and controls. He is privatising space travel through SpaceX and has other ventures in biotechnology and rail travel. He is the world’s richest person, with legions of cultish stock market and social media devotees.

Now he is taking a punt on Twitter, the social media platform he ...