Gerry Palmers Tech 07.07.2021 21:Jul PM EDT

Did Elon Musk Really Ask China to Censor Social Media Attacks? Tesla Sales Issues, Recalls and More [RUMOR]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk did the unthinkable, that is if rumors prove to be true.

According to a Bloomberg report citing sources, Musk had sought assistance from the Chinese government to censor social media posts unfavorable to the electric vehicle maker.

The report emphasized Musk and Tesla's struggles in China, particularly weak sales of its electric vehicles in the past few months (including April's sharp 27 percent decline). Surprisingly, it made an explosive revelation about Musk and Tesla's supposed efforts to stifle free expression.

Bloomberg quoted "people familiar with the matter," saying that Musk and Tesla executives "complained to the (Chinese) government" about the criticism the company has gotten over Chinese social media. The Bloomberg source then disclosed that Musk had asked the Chinese government "to use its censorship powers to block some of the posts."

ZeroEdge emphasized that if this report is true, Musk is apparently working closely with Beijing in adopting their tactics to control the narrative.

Tesla, Elon Musk Face Public Outrage Over Car Defects

This report comes after a number of incidents involving Tesla cars have led to public outrage in China. Last April, a protestor stood on top of a Tesla vehicle at the Shanghai Auto Show, decrying the failures of its brakes. This led to angry social media posts and disparagement from Chinese media over what they perceived as Tesla's product shortcomings.

Moreover, a video was uploaded to Weibo just days ago wherein a Tesla Model 3's autopilot had seemingly malfunctioned, leading to the car's road crash. While Tesla had warned that drivers should still put their hands on the wheel while they are driving their "feature-complete" in a Full Self-Driving vehicle and take over at any moment, early access owners of the Tesla Model 3 cars had trolled Musk over delays in the upgrade of its autopilot system. Musk, admitting problems with Tesla's self-driving feature, promised the upgrade "no later than June." But as the deadline passed, the business mogul then tweeted that Tesla owners should expect the upgrade anytime "soon."

Tesla also had to recall 285,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over concerns about its cruise control system. This cruise control feature is activated as drivers shift gears or inadvertently touch the gear selector, which would result in accidental acceleration. A software update to correct its deficiencies is pending. Tesla had faced intense scrutiny before from Chinese regulators over the safety of its Model 3 cars manufactured in Tesla's Shanghai plant, which may have led to apprehension among Chinese buyers and its decrease in sales.

Tesla Sales Continues to Struggle amid Negative Press, Regulatory Scrutiny

According to CNBC, Tesla EV sales continues to struggle in recovering from its April slump. While Tesla sold 33,462 cars in May, which is a significant rise from April's 25,845, it still did not match March's 35,478 car sales.

This arduous climb comes amidst mounting negative press and regulatory scrutiny over complaints on the Tesla's vehicle's brakes, autopilot system, and cruise control system.