Alex Bruno
If Tesla CEO Elon Musk follows through on his intention to purchase Twitter, the social media company’s permanent ban on former President Donald Trump would be lifted. Musk, speaking virtually at the Financial Times Future of the Car symposium, called Twitter’s Trump ban a “morally awful move” and “very dumb.” Permanent Twitter account suspensions, he believes, should be uncommon and reserved for scammers or automated bots.
Following the Jan. 6 insurgency at the US Capitol, Twitter deleted Trump’s account in January 2021 for “incitement of violence.” “I believe it was a mistake because it alienated a significant portion of the public and did not result in Donald Trump losing his voice,” Musk added. “I believe this will ultimately be worse than having a single place where everyone can argue.” I suppose the answer is that I would lift the indefinite prohibition.”
Musk went on to say that Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey shares his dislike for permanent bans. Trump had previously claimed that even if his account was reactivated, he would not return to Twitter, telling Fox News last month that he would instead concentrate on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been plagued by issues since its inception earlier this year.
“I will not be using Twitter.” “I’m staying on Truth,” Trump said to the network. “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll enhance it and he’s a wonderful guy, but I’m sticking with Truth.” In reaction to Musk’s statements, a Trump representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment. According to Musk, Twitter now has a significant left-wing tilt, owing to its location in San Francisco. He claims that the perceived prejudice inhibits it from gaining credibility in the rest of the US and the rest of the globe.
To be a better public platform for exchanging ideas, Musk believes Twitter should do rid of bots and fraudsters. When a person takes action against any account, he stressed, it must be clear, stating what was done and why. He described the situation as “much too random” at the moment.
After meeting with the EU’s single market leader, Elon Musk, who is seeking to acquire Twitter, expressed his support for a new European Union rule aimed at safeguarding social media users from dangerous material.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he explained to Musk how the bloc’s internet legislation seeks to protect free expression while also ensuring that anything criminal “would be disallowed in the digital arena,” something Musk “completely agreed with.”
Musk said the two had a “wonderful chat” in a video Breton posted late Monday, and that he agreed with the Digital Services Act, which is anticipated to get final approval later this year. It will force giant digital firms like Twitter, Google, and Facebook parent Meta to more severely regulate their platforms for unlawful or damaging material like hate speech and misinformation or face billion-dollar penalties.
Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter has sparked worries that he may make modifications to the network that value free speech above online safety, possibly pitting him against upcoming European restrictions that have sparked a worldwide push to rein in internet giants’ influence.
The 65-second video suggests Musk and the EU have more in common than meets the eye. In the video, Breton claims to have discussed the Digital Services Act with Musk at a meeting at Tesla’s headquarters in Texas. Musk says that it’s “absolutely in line with my thoughts.”
“I completely agree with what you said,” Musk said. “I believe we’re on the same page, and I think everything my businesses can do to help Europe is something we want to do.” Musk, a billionaire and self-described free speech absolutist, wanted to buy Twitter, raising worries that he would adopt a hands-off approach to content management.
According to the Associated Press, Breton told Musk that the new rule meant “we need additional moderators, and in the language where we operate.” As a result, he totally comprehended.” According to Breton, the two agreed on the need of being able to review algorithms that decide what social media users are presented with.
The Digital Services Act mandates more openness for algorithms, and Musk has advocated for their public scrutiny. Another subject of conversation was President Donald Trump’s Twitter ban for encouraging violence during the US Capitol insurgency, which Musk is said to oppose. Breton said he warned Musk that EU legislation has protections to protect users’ rights, including the ability to challenge prohibitions.
Source: AP News
