Elon Musk’s Contradictory Plans for Twitter Raise Concerns

On Tuesday, Elon Musk stated he would reverse Twitter’s ban of former President Donald Trump, who was booted in January 2021 for inciting violence on the US Capitol, ought to he achieve buying the social platform for $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,39,870 crore).

But the day earlier than, the Tesla CEO additionally stated he agrees with the European Union’s new Digital Services Act, a legislation that can require large tech corporations like Twitter, Google and Facebook father or mother Meta to police their platforms extra strictly for unlawful or dangerous content material corresponding to hate speech and disinformation.

The obvious contradiction underscores the steep studying curve awaiting the world’s richest man as soon as he encounters the complexity of Twitter’s content material moderation in dozens of languages and cultures. Twitter has to adjust to the legal guidelines and laws of a number of international locations whereas making an allowance for the response of advertisers, customers, politicians and others.

“He certainly wouldn’t be the first person to say, ‘I’m going to do this’ and then realise that either they don’t really want to do it or their users don’t want them to do it,” stated David Greene, civil liberties director on the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Speaking nearly at an auto convention, the Tesla CEO stated that Twitter’s ban of Trump was a “morally bad decision” and “foolish in the extreme.”

“I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice,” stated Musk. He stated he most popular non permanent suspensions and different narrowly tailor-made punishments for content material that’s unlawful or in any other case “destructive to the world.”

Earlier in the day, Musk met with EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss the bloc’s online regulations. Thierry told The Associated Press that he outlined to Musk how the EU aims to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal “will be forbidden in the digital space,” including that Musk “fully agreed” with him.

In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk said the two had a “great discussion” and added that he agrees with the Digital Services Act, which is expected to get final approval later this year. It threatens Twitter and other Big Tech firms with billions in fines if they don’t police their platforms.

Shares of Twitter dropped 1.5 percent Tuesday to $47.24 (roughly Rs. 3,600) per share. That’s 13 percent below the offer of $54.20 (roughly Rs. 4,100) per share that Musk made on April 14, a reflection of Wall Street’s concerns that the deal could still fall through. Musk emphasised Tuesday that it is “certainly not a done deal.”

“If Musk is concerned that many people were upset that Trump was banned, he should see how many more people would be upset if Trump was not banned,” stated Kirsten Martin, a professor of know-how ethics on the University of Notre Dame. “Musk only appears to be worried about the opinion of a small group of individuals who incite violence or perpetuate hate speech.”

Trump has beforehand stated that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even when his account was reinstated, telling Fox News final month that he would as an alternative deal with his personal platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in issues since its launch earlier this yr.

A Trump spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark in response to Musk’s remarks.

While Trump was president, his Twitter feed supplied a mixture of coverage bulletins, usually out of the blue; complaints in regards to the media; disparagement of girls, minorities and his perceived enemies; and reward for his supporters, replete with exclamation marks, all-caps, and one-word declarations corresponding to “Sad!”

He fired quite a few officers on Twitter and his posts, like his speeches at rallies, had been a torrent of misinformation.

In asserting its 2021 ban of Trump, Twitter stated his tweets amounted to glorification of violence when learn within the context of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and plans circulating on-line for future armed protests across the inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden.

Musk’s remarks Tuesday elevate questions on whether or not these banned in addition to Trump might additionally return. The lengthy checklist of individuals banned from Twitter contains QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and former actuality star Tila Tequila, who was suspended for hate speech.

Other Trump allies kicked off Twitter embody Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was completely banned in January for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine security.

White supremacist David Duke and the customarily violent Proud Boys organisation have been banned, together with far-right trolls like one who goes by the title Baked Alaska, who promoted anti-Semitic tropes and faces fees stemming from his involvement within the January 6 assault.

Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, was completely banned in 2018 for abusive habits. Last yr, Jones misplaced a defamation case filed by the mother and father of kids killed within the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, faculty taking pictures over Jones’ repeated claims that the taking pictures was faux.

Twitter, Musk stated Tuesday, at present has a robust bias to the left, largely as a result of it’s situated in San Francisco. This alleged bias prevents it from constructing belief in the remainder of the US and the world, he stated: “It’s far too random and I think Twitter needs to be much more even handed.”

Twitter declined to touch upon Musk’s remarks.