Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) called out Elon Musk, the owner of X, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s suggested cage fight, asking them to instead focus on their platforms’ policies.
“Whatever,” Klobuchar wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Could you guys do something about kids getting hooked on tech platforms instead? How about Meta’s takedown of local news. I guess when you’ve taken down everyone else, you’re the only ones left in the ring.”
Klobuchar’s comments follow Musk’s announcement Sunday that the cage fight between the two tech billionaires will be livestreamed on X and all proceeds will go to charity for veterans.
Zuckerberg mocked Musk’s post, writing on Threads, “Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?
In June, Musk responded to a post about Meta’s new platform, Threads — which is seen as a direct competitor to X — and said he was “up for a cage match if [Zuckerberg] is.”
Zuckerberg responded to the suggestion, writing “Send Me Location,” in an Instagram story. Since then, the back-and-forth between the tech leaders on social media has prompted memes and posts of “choose your fighter,” while both claim to have started training in preparation for the fight.
Klobuchar, who serves as chairwoman of the Senate subcommittee of competition policy, antitrust, and consumer rights, has pushed for regulation of Big Tech companies.
She introduced a journalism antitrust bill last year that would push back on the power Facebook and Google have over news outlets.
Klobuchar has also expressed concerns over the safety risks for children using social media and spending too much time on such platforms.