Rights groups fear Twitter buyer could open door to conspiracy theorists and contravene UK online safety bill
if he completes his takeover of the social media platform has prompted warnings that it will provoke a backlash among users and could clash with new internet safety laws.for $44bn and has described himself as a “free speech absolutist” with doubts about imposing permanent bans on Twitter accounts such as Trump’s, which was suspended after the Capitol riot last January. Experts also warned that Trump’s return could lead to breaches of proposed rules governing digital content in the UK and EU.
. “I would reverse the permanent ban,” he said, speaking via video link at a car industry conference organised by the Financial Times. “I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake. It alienated the country and did not result in Donald Trump not having a voice. I think it was a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme.”
Kirsten Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame in Chicago, said Musk would face a backlash if he reinstated Trump’s account. “If Musk is concerned that many people were upset that Trump was banned, he should see how many more people would be upset if Trump was not banned,” she said. “Musk only appears to be worried about the opinion of a small group of individuals who incite violence or perpetuate hate speech.
in the days after Musk announced his takeover deal, as prominent accounts, including Katy Perry and Barack Obama, lost followers. At the same time, some rightwing Twitter accounts gained followers, according to data from the analytics site Social Blade. PEN America, a free-speech campaign group, said Musk needed a “better explanation” for letting Trump back. “Does he judge that Trump did not engage in incitement, or is he saying that a sitting president egging on his followers to violence or insurrection is fair game on Twitter?,” the group’s chief executive, Suzanne Nossel, asked. “With the great power that Musk seeks to wield over our public discourse comes great responsibility.
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