
Elon Musk restores some banned Twitter accounts, but has not yet made a decision about Donald Trump.
- In an earlier tweet, Musk mentioned creating a 'content moderation council.'
- Not 'freedom of expression,' but rather reach, is the goal of the most recent policy.
- Donald Trump, who is now a candidate for the US presidency, is still being stopped.
The controversial comic Kathy Griffin, motivational speaker Jordan Peterson, and satirical website The Babylon Bee all had their Twitter accounts previously suspended by Elon Musk, who revealed his intention to reinstate them in a tweet on Friday.
The former US President and potential contender for the 2025 US presidential election, Donald Trump, has not yet been decided to return to Twitter, according to the new CEO of the social media platform. Musk also commented on Twitter's most recent content moderation policy, which appears to protect 'freedom of speech' but not 'freedom of reach.'
The billionaire added that all hateful and nasty tweets will now be 'max deboosted and demonetised,' meaning they may not appear in users' feeds and won't get any attention or promotion, but they will still be present on the service.
Users will need to conduct a specialised search in order to locate these tweets. Musk clarified that this regulation only applies to specific tweets, not to entire accounts, in a subsequent Tweet.
Soon after Elon Musk decided to permit anyone with a Twitter Blue subscription to obtain a blue checkmark, Kathy Griffin was banned from Twitter in early November for impersonating him. She was one of few who made hilarious use of the commotion surrounding the new checkmark policy. The badge had previously been seen on accounts that had been confirmed to be run by businesses or well-known people.
Twitter Blue has also been suspended due to rampant abuse and the temporary implementation of a secondary designation for verified users. While conservative satirical publication The Bablyon Bee declined to take down a tweet making fun of a transgender US federal government official, prominent personality Jordan Peterson was banned from Twitter earlier this year for breaking the platform's hate speech policy. Elon Musk has criticised Twitter's handling of censorship both before and after he purchased the company.
Musk, a self-described 'free speech absolutist,' has said he would permit former US President Donald Trump to use the service once more. Trump was expelled for allegedly encouraging attacks on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, although he is now running for president once more after recently announcing his intention to do so in 2024.
In addition, Musk announced the creation of a 'Content Moderation Council' to make decisions regarding account suspensions and reinstatements. It is unclear, however, whether this council has already been established or whether it had any influence on the restoration of three well-known accounts. There will probably be more liftings of bans.