Elon Musk Praises Netflix For Suggesting Employees Quit If They Disagree With New Guidelines
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Elon Musk has praised Netflix after the company suggested employees leave if they were not comfortable with the content being released.
Musk responded to the news of Netflix's announcement on Twitter after it updated its company culture guidelines to include a new section titled 'Artistic Expression'.
In the section, Netflix makes clear it offers a range of content, 'some of which can be provocative', in order to cater to its audience who 'have very different tastes and points of view'.
"Not everyone will like – or agree with – everything on our service," the section continues.
"As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful. If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you."
A report about the release was shared on Twitter by Tom Fitton, president of American conservative activist group Judicial Watch, who tagged Musk and suggested he was 'having an impact beyond Twitter'.
Good move by @netflix
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2022
Earlier this month, Musk told reporters at the Met Gala that it was 'fine' if Twitter employees chose to resign after he reached an agreement to buy the company for $44 billion.
"It’s a free country. Certainly if anyone doesn’t feel comfortable with that, they will on their own accord go somewhere else. That’s fine," he commented.
In response to Fitton's tweet on Saturday, 14 May, Musk commended Netflix's candour in writing: "Good move by @netflix."
The update to Netflix's guidelines came after it reported a loss of subscribers for the first time in over a decade; an outcome the company blamed on increased competition and password sharing, among other factors.
However, Musk claimed it was the 'woke mind' that made Netflix 'unwatchable' and agreed with another Twitter user who claimed content was 'all infested with current year trend woke garbage for fear offending a green haired freak next to the ban button'.
In response to the user, Musk said their comment was 'true' and added: "Can they please just make sci-fi/fantasy at least *mostly* about sci-fi/fantasy?"
Can they please just make sci-fi/fantasy at least *mostly* about sci-fi/fantasy?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2022
Netflix has spent the last 18 months discussing cultural issues internally with employees, according to a spokesperson who discussed the guidelines update with The Wall Street Journal.
The addition to the culture page marked the first since 2017 and was included so 'prospective employees could understand [its] position, and make better informed decisions about whether Netflix is the right company for them', according to the spokesperson.
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Topics: Technology, Elon Musk, Film and TV, Netflix
