After international criticism, Twitter boss Elon Musk has reactivated several blocked accounts of American journalists – but not all. Musk announced the activation in response to a poll of Twitter users, in which a majority of the nearly 3.7 million participants voted for an immediate end to the bans.
The United Nations stressed that there were “serious concerns”. Musk must commit to making decisions based on publicly available guidelines that respect rights such as freedom of expression, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanded. The end of the arbitrary lockdown does not seem to be in sight yet.
Several of journalists’ originally blocked accounts, including the “New York Times”, the “Washington Post” and CNN, were able to be recalled on Saturday – but not all. The account of “Business Insider” journalist Linette Lopez was also blocked on Sunday morning (local time). Her account was suspended without explanation on Friday. She had previously reported repeatedly about the Musk-led electric car maker Tesla. Saturday evening (local time) also blocked the account of a journalist from the “Washington Post” who reports on technical topics and Musk. It was reactivated on Sunday.
As of Thursday evening (local time), Twitter had begun blocking the accounts of prominent American journalists. According to those involved, the closures were carried out without warning. The United Nations then expressed its deep concern about the development of the online network under the new owner Musk. The federal government also criticized the closures.
Twitter on Wednesday blocked an account that could be used to track CEO Elon Musk’s private jet. Some of the temporarily exiled journalists had reported on it, as well as Musk’s statement that he and his family had been endangered by sharing location data. In several tweets on Friday evening, Musk wrote that the same rules apply to journalists as to everyone else.
He was referring to “doxxing,” which is the disclosure of an individual’s personal information, including information such as address. “You posted my real-time exact location, actually the coordinates for a murder,” Musk wrote. He spoke of a violation of Twitter’s terms of use.
Journalist Tony Webster, who was also affected by the block, wrote on Twitter after his unblock that there had been no “doxxing” – “even if an easily irritable, inexplicable oligarch said so”. The Washington Post also rejected the allegations: “The Post could not find any evidence that the reporters in question had passed on information about the whereabouts of Musk or his family.”
“It’s a clear example that it’s no longer a rules-based company,” journalist Aaron Rupar, whose account was also blocked, told NPR. “It’s basically a business based on Elon Musk’s whims, and the terms of service depend on his day-to-day mood.” Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann complained that a vote had been taken to activate the bills. “Freedom of expression is the protection of minorities,” said the FDP politician.
Musk had written a few months ago that he hoped even his “worst critics” would stay on Twitter because that means freedom of speech. The “Washington Post” noted that after blocking the accounts, management of the media outlets were quick to criticize Musk’s actions. But everyone – including the “Post” – would have continued to tweet on their official accounts. “Publishers have invested heavily in staff whose main job is to promote stories on social media (…)”
The online service has developed into an important communication platform in recent years: governments, authorities and politicians all over the world use Twitter for their PR work. Tech billionaire Musk took over Twitter in October and has been pushing his ideas through the online service ever since. Musk has also repeatedly taken a clear political stance, promoted US Republicans and shared conspiracy theories.
In November, the tech billionaire unlocked former US President Donald Trump’s account. Trump has been banned from Twitter since January 2021. On January 6, he tweeted condolences to his supporters who stormed the seat of the US parliament. Musk also reactivated other accounts that violated the service’s usage rules. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
