In a recent development, Elon Musk reversed the suspension of numerous journalists’ Twitter accounts that he had previously prohibited. According to reports, he suspended their accounts in response to the results of a Twitter poll he conducted.
The decision drew so much criticism that Musk apparently decided to rescind the ban. “The populace has spoken. Accounts that doxxed my location have had their suspensions removed “The owner of Twitter tweeted.
According to media reports, Musk surveyed users for 24 hours to determine whether accounts should be restored “immediately” or “in 7 days.” The majority of Twitter users chose “now” by a 59-41 point margin. Around 3.7 million Twitter users responded to the study. However, “immediately” outperformed “tomorrow,” “in 7 days,” and “longer” in a separate poll held on Thursday, although Musk said the poll had too many alternatives.
The controversy began when @ElonJet, a Twitter account that only tracked Musk’s use of private planes, was suspended. Musk stated that the account was suspended due to a “physical safety violation” and that it was “doxxing real-time location info” and broadcasting recordings of a “crazy stalker” who was harassing his child in Los Angeles while believing the Twitter owner was present. Musk has reportedly threatened to sue the account holder.
According to sources, many criticised Musk’s “doxxing” claims because it is publicly known that the billionaire uses a private plane, while others accused him of hypocrisy because he defined himself as a “free speech absolutist” when he purchased Twitter.
It is worth noting that Twitter has suspended the accounts of journalists covering the social media network and its new owner Musk, including journalists from The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America, and other publications.
The bans came as Musk was making significant improvements to Twitter’s content control. He has attempted to assert, through the release of selected corporate records called “The Twitter Files,” that the platform stifled right-wing voices under prior executives.
