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- Elon Musk talks a lot about free speech. But account suspensions on X have skyrocketed. (newsbreak.com)
Musk’s Twitter Suspends More Accounts Than Ever
Despite Elon Musk’s pledge to uphold free speech on Twitter, a new report shows that the platform has suspended more accounts under his leadership. In the first half of 2024, Twitter suspended over 5.3 million accounts, significantly more than the previous record of 1.3 million in the latter half of 2021.
Reasons for Suspensions
Twitter claims the recent suspensions were related to child safety, abuse or harassment, and misleading identities. However, Musk has also suspended accounts for reasons unrelated to platform policies, such as tracking his private jet flights.
Journalist Suspension
Recently, Twitter suspended journalist Ken Klippenstein after he published a dossier containing the home address and partial Social Security number of JD Vance, a candidate in the 2024 election. Twitter justified the suspension due to the inclusion of personal information.
Government Pressure
Despite his stance as a free-speech absolutist, Musk has complied with government demands to moderate content more heavily. In Brazil, Turkey, and India, Twitter has removed accounts upon government request.
Trustworthiness Concerns
The mass suspension of accounts, coupled with Musk’s dismissal of trust and safety staff, has raised concerns about Twitter’s trustworthiness. A recent survey found the platform to be the least trustworthy tech company.