SEC Reopens Investigation Into Elon Musk’s Neuralink

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reopened an investigation into Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company. The move comes after a national medical ethics group, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, raised concerns about the company’s safety claims and treatment of animals during experiments.

The investigation became public on December 12 when Musk shared a letter from his attorney to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler on social media platform X. The letter confirmed the SEC’s renewed examination of Neuralink’s activities.

In September 2023, the Physicians Committee requested the SEC investigate Musk for securities fraud. Their complaint stemmed from Musk’s statement that “no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.” He further claimed that only terminally ill monkeys were chosen for early tests. However, documents obtained through ongoing litigation tell a different story. According to the records, while three terminal animals were used, 12 otherwise healthy monkeys were euthanized after experiencing severe complications caused by Neuralink’s implant.

Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy for the Physicians Committee, criticized Musk for misleading the public. “Musk deliberately lied to investors and patients,” Merkley said. “We are glad the SEC is looking into this matter.”

Reports from Neuralink’s experiments at the University of California, Davis, which took place from 2017 to 2020, highlight troubling outcomes. Monkeys implanted with the device suffered chronic infections, brain swelling, paralysis, and other debilitating health effects that ultimately led to euthanasia. The Physicians Committee argues that these results underscore the risks of highly invasive brain implants, both for animals and potential human patients.

The group continues to call on Neuralink to end its animal testing and shift its focus to noninvasive brain-computer interface technology. Despite Neuralink beginning human trials, they point out that many medical device companies fail to bring products to market after clinical testing.

Related Content:

• FDA Finds Issues at Neuralink’s Animal Testing Lab
• Reports Reveal How Many Animals Were Sacrificed for Brain-Computer Science Before Neuralink!
• The Controversial Animal Testing Behind Elon Musk’s Neuralink Project is Killing Animals and Hurting Monkeys
• Neuralink Embarks on First Human Trial, Despite Killing 1500 Animals
• Federal Officials Scrutinize USDA’s Oversight of Neuralink Operations Amid Animal Welfare Violations
• Group Seeks Release of 185 Autopsy Photos of Animals that Died During Experiments for Elon Musk’s Neuralink

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