Banned users won’t back for ‘weeks,’ Elon Musk says, dashing hopes of quick Trump return
Elon Musk vowed Twitter will not reinstate banned accounts until the social media platform develops “a clear process to do so,” meaning suspended users such as former president Donald Trump won’t be allowed back for “at least a few more weeks.”
Twitter will “continue to combat hate harassment enforce its election integrity policies,” Musk, who bought the company last week, tweeted Wednesday after meeting with civil rights groups.
The Tesla chief executive has previously said Twitter should not permanently ban users and that he would reverse the ban against Trump for inciting violence during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Musk’s timeline for allowing banned users back on the platform means Trump would not be back before the midterm elections.
Conservative accounts who celebrated Musk’s Twitter take over were dismayed by the decision to delay the reinstatement of suspended accounts, with one user tweeting Musk “caved in less than a week.”
hate speech spiked on the platform. A study conducted by Montclair State University showed that on Oct. 28, in the first 12 hours following Musk’s takeover, hate speech was tweeted an estimated 4,778 times.
Separately, research by the National Contagion Research Institute found that the use of the N-word racial slur rose nearly 500% the day after Musk’s acquisition. And the Anti-Defamation League said more than 1,200 tweets and retweets propagated antisemitic memes following the take-over.
Twitter’s hate speech spiked following Elon Musk’s takeover
Musk’s acquisition had stoked fears that hate speech and extremism would surge on the platform, as he has described himself as “free speech absolutist” and criticized how Twitter moderates its users. However, he hasn’t made any major changes to Twitter’s moderation policies.
Musk, Twitter’s sole director after disbanding the company’s board, said Wednesday he met with civil society leaders, including the Anti-Defamation League, Free Press and the NAACP.
“We had a productive discussion, and as Musk’s Twitter thread demonstrates, he made a few commitments,” Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González said in a statement.
The tech entrepreneur said last week Twitter will form a content moderation council and that no major decisions will be made before the council convenes.
He said Wednesday the council “will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence.”
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Will Musk charge for Twitter?
While changes to content moderation policies are yet to be seen, the verification process to gain a coveted blue check mark on Twitter may be different soon.
Musk said Tuesday that Twitter’s subscription service, Twitter Blue, will offer users verification and other benefits for $8 per month. He added that the monthly fee would also offer users priority in replies, mention and search; the ability to post long videos and audio; and half as many ads.
The verification process is currently free for users who meet certain requirements.
Pay up for verified tick:Elon Musk says Twitter to start charging $8 per month for blue check mark verification
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