How Elon Musk has reversed Twitter censorship to favor conservatives

Elon Musk has slowly reversed the censorship priorities of Twitter's platform away from these on the Left however adopted inconsistent and unpredictable positions.

Earlier this week, Musk declared the time period "cisgender," a time period used to explain those that don't establish as transgender, a slur on Twitter. Whereas it stays unclear if Twitter will actively penalize customers for utilizing the time period, the replace to Twitter's content material moderation coverage is the most recent effort by Musk to shift the platform's content material moderation coverage away from its typical historical past of left-leaning content material moderation. Additionally it is the most recent motion by Musk to aim to average content material on Twitter regardless of his earlier commitments to permitting free speech on Twitter.

BIDEN FACT-CHECKED BY TWITTER COMMUNITY NOTES AFTER DEFICIT CLAIM

"Musk promised to usher in an space of expressive freedom on Twitter, however we're all nonetheless ready for that to occur," Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy on the Basis for Particular person Rights and Expression, informed the Washington Examiner. Terr mentioned Musk has didn't average content material "persistently, transparently, and in step with its purported dedication to free speech."

Musk's assertion on the time period "transgender" led to backlash from transgender customers. "The free speech absolutist is at it once more," tweeted Natalie Wynn, a transgender girl and YouTuber.

It additionally led to criticism from the Proper on the grounds that it's an undue restriction on speech. "Elon's restriction of the phrase 'cisgender' is ridiculous," tweeted conservative activist Christopher Rufo. "The foundations must be tailor-made to the intense circumstances (demise threats, doxing, and so on.) and enforced in an equal, clear method. Proscribing 'slurs'—and even pretend phrases like 'cis'—is unfair and counter-productive."

Musk beforehand reversed Twitter's ban on "deadnaming," or utilizing the unique title of beginning of a transgender particular person. The coverage had gotten a number of conservative accounts banned from the platform, together with these of the conservative satirical web site the Babylon Bee and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).

Musk additionally sided with conservatives when Twitter eliminated hundreds of tweets referencing the "Trans Day of Vengeance," a transgender rights protest.

He additionally personally hosted a glitch-plagued Twitter Areas interview with Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and one other with anti-vaccine advocate and Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

When Twitter restricted the posting of the Every day Wire's gender ideology-critical documentary What's a Girl? in Might, Musk mentioned it was a mistake and allowed the documentary on the platform, albeit with out advert help. Two Twitter security executives left the corporate afterward.

In December, Musk additionally lifted bans for hundreds of accounts that promoted COVID-19 skepticism, QAnon conspiracy theories, and different controversial views. He additionally reinstated Donald Trump to Twitter, though the previous president has not tweeted since.

The platform banned legislation professor Andy Grewal in April for satirically tweeting that Justice Clarence Thomas be guillotined.

Homosexual & Lesbian Alliance Towards Defamation CEO Sarah Kate Ellis mentioned Musk's actions on Twitter have led to a rise in anti-gay rhetoric on the platform. She referred to as the platform "essentially the most harmful platform for LGBTQ individuals."

Whereas Musk has offered himself as permitting all speech, there may be some speech he has explicitly rejected for what gave the impression to be nonpolitical causes.

He banned @elonjet, a Twitter account used to trace his airplane, after alleging that the account had empowered a stalker to trace him and his daughter. He quickly suspended a number of journalists for posting hyperlinks to @elonjet on different platforms, however reinstated them weeks later.

Musk additionally banned a WIRED journalist in April for writing a narrative concerning the hacker who broke into conservative commentator Matt Walsh's cellphone. The hacker posted a number of tweets to Walsh's 1.7 million followers, together with a hyperlink to a track about homosexual intercourse.

He later restricted tweets linking to Substack blogs, claiming it was on account of competitors.

The billionaire has additionally needed to abide by moderation requests from extra authoritarian governments like India, which demanded that activists' posts be taken down.