Last night, megalomaniac and right-wing authoritarian Elon "Chief Twit" Musk suspended the Twitter accounts of reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post, the Voice of America, and CNN among others without an explanation from the company. However, as the Associated Press reports:
"The company hasn’t explained to the journalists why it took down the accounts and made their profiles and past tweets disappear. But Musk took to Twitter on Thursday night to accuse journalists of sharing private information about his whereabouts that he described as 'basically assassination coordinates.' He provided no evidence for that claim.
The sudden suspension of news reporters followed Musk’s decision Wednesday to permanently ban an account that automatically tracked the flights of his private jet using publicly available data. That also led Twitter to change its rules for all users to prohibit the sharing of another person’s current location without their consent." (our emphasis)
Musk's lifting of the Twitter suspensions of far-right activists, white nationalists / supremacists, spreaders of misinformation on COVID, and other dangerous voices has signaled his preference for "free speech" when it reinforces his views and strokes his ego. It would follow that suspensions of writers critical of his management at the failing Tesla and SpaceX can be expected. Reactions to the reporters' suspensions was strong:
"The Washington Post’s executive editor, Sally Buzbee, called for technology reporter Drew Harwell’s Twitter account to be reinstated immediately. The suspension “directly undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech,” Buzbee wrote. “Harwell was banished without warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk.”
CNN said in a statement that 'the impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising.'
'Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses Twitter,'CNN’s statement added. 'We have asked Twitter for an explanation, and we will reevaluate our relationship based on that response.'"
It's dangerous to democracy when a mega-rich authoritarian buys a universally-used social media site and then changes it to serve his own warped purposes. His idea of "free speech" is beginning to look like that practiced in authoritarian dictatorships.
BONUS:
He banned journalists and brought back the Nazis, but his politics are such a mystery
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) December 16, 2022
Talk is cheap. pic.twitter.com/zhqxsm8Lz6
— Jeff Kemp (@jkempcpa) December 16, 2022
News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct. @elonmusk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon.
— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) December 16, 2022
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