India, Jan. 12 -- Elon Musk's private life has once again found its way into the headlines, this time as a result of a custody battle with his son that he fathered with writer and commentator Ashley St. Clair, penned about the circumstances with which Musk has found himself embroiled. The current state of affairs in regards to Elon Musk's personal life serves as a microcosm for the way in which private matters can quickly become very public indeed in the current state of the world, as made possible by the advent and utilization of social media.

Musk's decision came amid renewed scrutiny of recent social media posts by St. Clair that seemed to endorse gender-affirming concepts. Musk said publicly that the comments were deeply alarming for...