CEO Elon Musk spent years referring to himself as a “free speech absolutist.” When he acquired Twitter (now X) in 2022, he framed the deal as necessary for preserving free speech in the United States and beyond.

As concerns mount about eroding checks and balances in the U.S., Tesla’s record in China shows how Elon Musk has thrived in a system in which regulators, the media and the courts are by design intertwined.

A report claims that Tesla has sued "at least" six car owners in China over the past four years after complaining about mechanical issues.

Tesla has been suing customers, journalists and media outlets in China who complain or criticize their cars and winning every case.

Tesla has embraced an aggressive legal strategy in China to stifle its critics — suing its own customers. Zhang Yazhou protested publicly that her Model 3's brakes had failed and caused an accident in 2021 that sent her parents to the hospital.