Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Elon Musk to 'unlock doors to Twitter jail' with amnesty for suspended accounts

Elon Musk to 'unlock doors to Twitter jail' with amnesty for suspended accounts

Critics say the move will see far-right and white supremacist accounts such as the American Nazi Party back on the platform - with one award-winning journalist warning it will put lives at risk and telling Musk "you will have blood on your hands!"
Elon Musk has announced he will grant "amnesty" for suspended Twitter accounts - prompting experts to predict a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation.

The billionaire asked his followers in a poll to vote on reinstatements for accounts that have not "broken the law or engaged in egregious spam".

The yes vote was 72%.

"The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei," Mr Musk tweeted, using a Latin phrase that translates as "the voice of the people, the voice of God".


While it was welcomed by many, the apparent decision prompted an instant flood of criticism.

Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit advocacy group and media watchdog, said the move could see the return of the American Nazi Party and "a whole bunch of... conspiracy theorists who engage in harassment and abuse."

He said reversing the suspensions would mean "turning Twitter into a one-stop shop for operationalising doxxing and harassment, and an engine of radicalisation".

"Even if you're not on Twitter, you can still be the recipient of these campaigns," he told the Washington Post.

Hopewell Chin'ono, an award-winning African journalist, tweeted: "This would be a major disaster especially in Africa where State sponsored Ghost accounts were suspended for endangering human rights activists & journalists.

"You would have allowed vile people to put our lives in danger as journalists! You will have blood on your hands @elonmusk."

Michael Edison Hayden, of the Southern Poverty Law Centre, said Mr Musk was "bringing white supremacy back in a big way and wants everyone to know about it".

He listed a series of far-right and white supremacist figures including former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, whose accounts he indicated would be reinstated as a result of the move.


Matt Navarra, a social media expert and former digital advisor to the UK government, said: "Elon Musk is unlocking all the doors in the Twitter Jail. Things gonna get a bit more crazy."


The Tesla and SpaceX boss used the same Latin phrase after posting a similar poll last weekend before reinstating the account of former president Donald Trump, almost two years after he was removed.

Mr Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter in January 2021 after the attack by his supporters on the US Capitol that left several people dead.

Twitter said the decision, after the riot, was "due to the risk of further incitement of violence".

More than 15 million votes were cast, but the former president told a rally on Saturday evening: "I don't see any reason for [returning to Twitter]."

Kanye West also returned to the platform earlier this week, after previously having his account restricted after saying he would go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE".

In posts on Wednesday morning, Mr Musk appeared to mock detractors who had criticised his methods.

"Wasn't Twitter supposed to die by now or something?" he posted, followed by "Maybe we've gone to heaven/hell and don't know it."

Following Musk's $44bn Twitter takeover, many workers were either sacked by the company to cut costs, or left voluntarily.

Business Insider reported on Thursday that Musk fired "several dozen" more Twitter employees late on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving in the US.

The firings are said to have come as a surprise to staff after Musk said in a meeting earlier this week that there would be no more lay-offs at the company.
Comments

Oh ya 1 year ago
So this award winning journalist is worried about the NAZI party getting back on line. Has he wrote about the NAZI battalion in Ukraine? Thought not. Left wing hypocrite because Musk leans right.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×