Twitter Under “Free Speech Absolutist” Elon Musk Is Actually Suspending Way More People Than Before

Regarding.

Set off Pleased

X-formerly-Twitter has simply launched the primary transparency report to return out underneath its new possession, which incorporates inside figures on the way it’s been imposing its content material moderation insurance policies. And a few of the knowledge means that its overlord Elon Musk is not fairly the “free speech absolutist” he makes himself out to be.

Musk took over Twitter within the second half of 2022. Since then, suspensions of non-spam accounts have truly elevated. Within the first six months of this yr, the platform has suspended 5.3 million customers — which is greater than thrice as many because the 1.6 million that have been suspended within the first half of 2022, Fortune reported.

It is also hanging that these numbers are climbing despite the truth that Twitter’s consumer base appears to be dwindling. This might counsel an much more pronounced escalation in cracking down on customers that break the location’s guidelines — and it may be an indication of the uptick in hate speech on the platform that many critics have blamed on Musk, who typically boosts far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories himself.

For sure, none of this evinces the laissez-faire, censorship-free paradise that Musk has typically promised.

Spooky Stats

How regularly Twitter cooperates with authorities requests underneath Musk’s stewardship is probably what contradicts this imaginative and prescient essentially the most.

As The Washington Post noted, the location complied with 71 p.c of the 1000’s of authorized requests it obtained to take down posts on its platform within the first half of this yr. The very best it had been earlier than that was simply over 50 p.c in 2021, with most pre-Musk years falling even decrease.

The bulk got here from a repeat handful of nations, together with Japan, South Korea, and Turkey, the president of which Musk has personal ties to.

However essentially the most excessive profile occasion got here from Brazil, after a excessive courtroom choose threatened to block Twitter in its borders if the location did not ban a number of accounts that have been deemed to be spreading misinformation. Musk initially resisted, clinging to his free speech values, however ultimately gave into the calls for.

Guidelines for Fools

Any huge social media web site would require some moderation, however Musk’s monitor report has proven that he would not apply his guidelines equally.

Along with personally reinstating the accounts of individuals he favored — often prominent right wingers — together with Donald Trump, he has additionally banned journalists that were vocal critics of him and his allies.

Simply this week, the platform suspended the account of a journalist for sharing a hyperlink to a hacked file on JD Vance, Trump’s decide for Vice President. Musk has endorsed Trump and is reportedly bankrolling his campaign.

By now, it is no shock that Musk has some main caveats round his idea of “free speech” — however the sheer uptick in suspensions is astounding.

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