Elon Musk, in a tweet on Friday, introduced his choice to reinstate some beforehand banned Twitter accounts, together with these belonging to the controversial comic Kathy Griffin, public speaker Jordan Peterson, and satire web site The Babylon Bee. The new Twitter CEO, nevertheless, acknowledged that there was no choice but on whether or not or to not deliver former US President and 2025 Presidential election candidate Donald Trump again to Twitter. Musk additionally tweeted concerning the newest model of Twitter’s content material moderation coverage, which appears to ensure “freedom of speech” however not “freedom of reach”.
The billionaire additional acknowledged that each one damaging and hate tweets will now be “max deboosted and demonetised”, indicating that they won’t be seen in customers’ feeds and won’t obtain any consideration or promotion, however will nonetheless exist on the service. To discover such tweets, customers must seek for them particularly. In one other Tweet, Musk added that this coverage applies to particular person tweets, not total accounts.
New Twitter coverage is freedom of speech, however not freedom of attain.
Negative/hate tweets can be max deboosted & demonetized, so no advertisements or different income to Twitter.
You will not discover the tweet except you particularly search it out, which isn’t any totally different from remainder of Internet.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022
Kathy Griffin was suspended from Twitter in early November for impersonating Elon Musk, quickly after his choice to permit anybody with a Twitter Blue subscription to obtain a blue checkmark. She was one in every of a number of individuals who took benefit of the chaos across the modified checkmark coverage for comedic functions. The badge had beforehand been displayed on accounts that have been verified to have been operated by an organization or public determine. Following widespread misuse and the temporary introduction of a secondary label for verified accounts, Twitter Blue has additionally been suspended.
Public determine Jordan Peterson was banned earlier this yr after violating Twitter’s coverage towards hate speech for a tweet concerning the transgender actor Elliot Page, whereas The Bablyon Bee, a conservative satire publication, refused to delete a tweet mocking a transgender US federal authorities official.
One of Elon Musk’s major criticisms of Twitter earlier than and after shopping for it has been its dealing with of censorship. Calling himself a “free speech absolutist”, Musk has indicated he may enable former US President Donald Trump to make use of the service once more. Trump was banned for allegedly instigating assaults on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, however is now a Presidential candidate once more, having lately introduced he’ll run once more in 2024.
Musk additionally introduced the formation of a “Content Moderation Council” to resolve issues comparable to account bans and reinstatements, although it was not clear whether or not this has already been instituted or it performed any half within the restoration of three outstanding accounts. More ban reversals are more likely to comply with. In addition to satirical impersonations and fraud makes an attempt, researchers monitoring disinformation and hate speech have famous a surge in racist language on Twitter. Reports have additionally indicated that Twitter’s content material moderation employees may need been diminished significantly within the wake of the layoffs and mass resignations which have occurred since Musk took over.
Kathie Griffin, Jorden Peterson & Babylon Bee have been reinstated.
Trump choice has not but been made.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022
