Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former US President Donald Trump when he buys the social media platform, the clearest signal of Elon Musk’s intention to cut moderation of the site.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and chief executive of Tesla, has ink a $44-billion (roughly Rs. 3,37,465 crore) deal to buy Twitter.
Elon Musk has call himself a “free speech absolutist” but given few specific details of his plans.
Elon Musk is expect to become Twitter’s temporary CEO after closing the deal.
The question of reinstating Trump has seen as a litmus test of how far Elon Musk will go in making changes.
Elon Musk, speaking to the Financial Times Future of the Car conference, adds that he and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey believe permanent bans should be “extremely rare” and reserve for accounts that operate bots or spread spam.
Elon Musk said the decision to ban Donald Trump amplified Trump’s views among people on the political right, and he call the ban “morally wrong and flat-out stupid.”
The suspension of Donald Trump’s account, which had more than 88 million followers, stop his primary megaphone days before the end of his term and follows years of debate about how social media companies should moderate the accounts of powerful global leaders.
Trump was permanently suspend from Twitter shortly after the 6th January riot on the US Capitol.
Twitter cited “the risk of further incitement of violence” in its decision.
Elon Musk has also said the platform must limit speech as require by law, and he told a European Union official on Monday that EU policy was “exactly aligned” with his own thinking, referring to a new law that levies hefty fines on companies that do not control illegal content such as advertising aimed at children.
Donald Trump had previously told Fox News that he would not return to Twitter if allow, preferring his own social media app, Truth Social, a Twitter-like platform that launch on the Apple app store in late February and in which users post “truths” instead of tweets.
As he average 18 tweets a day when he was president.
Donald Trump is chairman of the company that owns Truth Social, which is merging with blank-check acquisition firm Digital World Acquisition.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Twitter’s ban on Trump was a matter for the company to decide.
The Biden administration wants online platforms to protect freedom of speech but also ensure they are not forums for disinformation, she said.
During the conference, Elon Musk said the deal to acquire Twitter could be done in two to three months in the “best case scenario.”
Twitter shares fell to a level that indicate the stock market believe it was unlikely that Elon Musk would make the acquisition for $44 billion, as he originally agree.
Elon Musk’s decision to go after Twitter has concern some Tesla investors and put pressure on the stock.
Elon Musk added that he would stay at Tesla “as long as I can be useful.”
Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Backs Elon Musk’s Plan to Reinstate Donald Trump’s Account
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has support Elon Musk’s plan to reinstate Donald Trump’s account, asserting that the decision to ban the former US President was “a failure.”
I do agree. There are exceptions (CSE, illegal behaviour, spam or network manipulation, etc), but generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don't work, which I wrote about here after the event (and called for a resilient social media protocol): https://t.co/fQ9KnrCQGX
— jack⚡️ (@jack) May 10, 2022
