Mullenweg cites First Amendment as WP Engine moves to court to stop him from speaking ill about their brand

The WordPress and WP Engine drama just keeps on escalating. What started as a tense disagreement has now spiraled into legal battles, online smear campaigns, and accusations of extortion. Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic, which oversees WordPress, has found himself at the center of this storm, facing a lawsuit from WP Engine that accuses him of defamation and power abuse.

On October 18, 2024, WP Engine filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction against Mullenweg and Automattic, demanding they stop interfering with their access to WordPress resources and halt the “smear campaign.” WP Engine claims that Mullenweg’s comments, including calling WP Engine a “cancer” in the WordPress community, have damaged their reputation, caused a 14% spike in cancellation requests, and contributed to “irreparable harm.”

From the WP Engine perspective, Mullenweg’s branding of them as a “cancer” in the WordPress ecosystem was just the beginning of an extortionate campaign designed to squeeze them out of the market. They claim Mullenweg expropriated their plugins, notably their popular Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, rebranding it under WordPress.org as “Secure Custom Fields,” while locking WP Engine’s users out of essential updates​. WP Engine believes that Mullenweg’s actions are causing irreparable harm, including customer loss, a significant dent in market share, and tarnished goodwill within the WordPress community.

Freedom of Speech vs. extortion allegations

In response, Mullenweg hit back with a blog post titled “My Freedom of Speech,” on October 20, 2024. He cited the First Amendment, emphasizing that the government can’t tell him what he can and can’t say. “WP Engine is asking a judge to curtail my First Amendment rights,” he writes. “This means that, with rare exceptions, the government cannot tell you not to say something.”

Mullenweg acknowledges that while he can express his opinions, platforms like WordPress.org aren’t required to host WP Engine’s content or give them a free pass on plugin hosting​. In what seems like a dramatic pause before more escalations, Mullenweg declared he would refrain from commenting further until the court rules, leaving his followers waiting for the next move in this digital chess game.

WordPress’ Slack upgrade sparks concerns

Meanwhile, WordPress community members noticed another eyebrow-raising move — an upgrade of their Slack workspace to Business+, a plan that allows for the exportation of private and direct messages. This quiet transition was met with suspicion, especially considering the sensitive timing with the WP Engine lawsuit. Some worry that this upgrade might allow WordPress to dig through private conversations for legal purposes.

In response to the Slack upgrade, Mullenweg published a blog post on October 18, 2024, thanking Salesforce (which owns Slack) for their generous support, highlighting that WordPress.org’s Slack usage would otherwise cost over $8 million annually​. He expressed gratitude for Slack’s contribution to WordPress’s productivity, although the timing of the upgrade still raises questions about its intentions.

On October 19, 2024, WordPress added another layer to its Community Code of Conduct, emphasizing the importance of protecting private conversations. The new rules now explicitly prohibit the publication of private messages without consent, reinforcing trust and integrity in personal communications​. Given the current tension with WP Engine and the increased scrutiny, this change aims to reassure the community and restore some level of peace.

Conclusion: The Calm Before the Storm?
As WP Engine’s legal battle with Automattic escalates, this case becomes more than a courtroom drama — it’s about power, trust, and the future of WordPress’ open-source ecosystem. With Mullenweg temporarily bowing out, will WP Engine succeed in silencing him? Will Mullenweg find a new way to express his concerns? Only time will tell.