The newly-minted Chief Twit Elon Musk has established himself as moderator-in-chief of one of the most significant social media sites in US politics, days after taking control of the platform and one week before the country's midterm elections.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway on August 29, 2022. - The meeting, held in Stavanger from August 29 to September 1, 2022, presents the latest developments in Norway and internationally related to the energy, oil and gas sector.
Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator
As reported first by AP, Musk has stated that he will wait to form a "content moderation council" with a range of perspectives before making significant decisions on content and restoring banned accounts. However, his previous statements have shown otherwise.
He has had direct conversations with political personalities on the right pushing for fewer restrictions, including a Republican running for secretary of state in Arizona who attributes Musk with allowing him to resume tweeting after his account was suspended on Monday, Oct. 31.
In fact, the billionaire updated his profile to "Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator" and added a picture of himself as a little child holding a phone.
On his first full day as Twitter's owner last week, Musk began the anticipated interventions. A conservative political podcaster cited instances when the platform was said to favor liberal views over conservative ones while covertly suppressing the former.
However, Twitter's previous administrators dismissed these claims as unfounded, but Musk said that he would consider diving into it.
Jordan Peterson's daughter also pleaded with Musk to reinstate her father's account following his tweet about transgender actor Elliot Page that violated Twitter's policies on hateful conduct.
Peterson is a Canadian psychologist who is known for opposing "politically correct" culture and feminism. His views are also popular among ring-wing activists.
Read also: Twitter's Elon Musk Reportedly Wants FREE Edit Button for All Users
Musk's Era
Musk released an open letter to advertisers before officially taking over on Twitter last Friday, pledging that he would prevent the platform from becoming a "free-for-all hellscape" while he promotes free speech on the platform.
He also came under fire after suggesting that he would charge users to pay $8 for a coveted verified blue check mark.
However, some have expressed their doubts about Musk's era on Twitter, and one of them is Tesla's rival, General Motors. The company suspended advertising on Twitter as it observes the platform under the billionaire.
Other businesses are also under pressure to reevaluate their plans on whether they should continue posting ads on the platform.
More than 30 advocacy groups urged Twitter's top 20 advertisers in an open letter they published on Tuesday to stop using the platform for advertising if Musk's management weakens "brand safety" and content moderation.
Musk has previously said that he wants to loosen content restrictions and will lift the permanent bans imposed on accounts that have been removed from the network, like former President Donald Trump, who was banned from Twitter after violating rules of violent incitement during the Capital Riot on Jan. 6.
His earlier "free speech for all" sentiments for the app drew concerns from activist organizations, alleging that Musk would transform Twitter into a "megaphone to extremists" by rolling back policies that banned users who spread hate speech and false information.
Related Article: Twitter Becomes the Subject of Coordinated Trolling Following Elon Musk Acquisition
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Jace Dela Cruz
