Musk mentioned in a tweet that Twitter is not going to permit anybody again on the platform earlier than there’s a clear course of to take action, and that he had met with civil rights and activist leaders about his intentions.
Twitter will “proceed to fight hate & harassment & implement its election integrity insurance policies,” he tweeted.
Musk’s newest feedback may assist handle criticism from civil society teams and activists that his plan to ease Twitter content material moderation practices and restore Trump’s account may open the door to a flood of harmful misinformation within the closing days earlier than the 2022 midterm elections. Twitter has at occasions struggled to curb the unfold of false claims of widespread voter fraud through the 2020 presidential election and to mitigate strategies of fraud within the upcoming contests.
Musk’s feedback got here after a Tuesday assembly with a handful of civil rights and activist teams together with Coloration of Change, Free Press, NAACP and Anti-Defamation League.
Almost 50 organizations signed on to a letter to Twitter’s prime advertisers this week asking them to stop advertising and marketing spending on the social media website if “he follows by means of on his plans to undermine model security and group requirements together with gutting content material moderation.”
The teams famous that they have been involved in regards to the spike in hate and disinformation on the platform within the hours after Musk took over possession of it.
“Not solely are extremists celebrating Musk’s takeover of Twitter, they’re seeing it as a brand new alternative to put up essentially the most abusive, harassing, and racist language and imagery,” the teams wrote.
The teams additionally criticized Musk for publicly supported the concept of restoring the accounts “of outstanding people Twitter had suspended for inciting and glorifying political violence.”
Twitter’s content material moderation council will embrace representatives with extensively divergent views, which will definitely embrace the civil rights group and teams who face hate-fueled violence
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
Musk has decried using everlasting bans and mentioned he would restore Trump’s account. Twitter banned him following the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Musk defined his pondering at an occasion hosted by the Monetary Instances in Might, calling the ban a “mistake” and saying it “was a morally dangerous resolution, to be clear, and silly within the excessive.”
Talking typically, Musk mentioned short-term suspensions could possibly be acceptable in conditions the place such motion might must be taken. Musk has advocated for content material moderation insurance policies rooted in free speech, that do little past the calls for of the legislation.
Musk has made efforts to construct inroads with advertisers on his new platform — who usually don’t need their promotions showing alongside objectionable content material — tweeting an open letter final week pledging Twitter is not going to develop into a “free-for-all hellscape.”
However Musk himself has diminished a few of that goodwill together with his actions since changing into the corporate’s chief, The Washington Publish reported.
Musk on Sunday tweeted — then deleted — a response to Hillary Clinton relating to the assault on Paul Pelosi in San Francisco the place he opined “there’s a tiny chance there may be extra to this story.”
The tweet included a hyperlink to the Santa Monica Observer, described by fact-checkers as a low-credibility supply favoring the acute proper, laden with unproven claims on the circumstances of the assault.
The tweet gave rise to some doubts amongst advertisers.
Faiz Siddiqui contributed to this report.
