Will Twitter loosen its content moderation rules under Elon Musk?

The next day,
Twitter locked Ye’s account after he posted a tweet that many users condemned as anti-Semitic.

Given that Musk – a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” – i
s set to complete his on-again-off-again takeover of Twitter in the coming weeks, it begs the question: will the social media platform change its policy on locking, suspending and banning accounts under the Tesla CEO?

After signing a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter in May, Musk had pledged changes to the social media platform’s content moderation practices. He also said he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former US President Donald Trump.

And according to a report in the Financial Times on Wednesday, the social media platform has already begun reviewing its policies around permanently banning users, possibly bringing its content moderation in line with Musk’s vision.

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The platform has been exploring if there are other content moderation tools that could replace a ban, its harshest penalty for violating rules, the report added, citing multiple sources.

But, the report said, any policy change would be unlikely to pave the way for Trump’s return to the platform since Twitter is not considering reversing bans issued for breaching its policy against inciting violence.

Instead, employees are looking at areas where they feel Twitter may have banned users for lesser offences, such as sharing misleading information, the report added.

“Our core tenets — choice and control, transparency, legitimacy, and fairness — have been guiding our work for years, and as the public conversation continues to evolve, our approach will too,” a Twitter spokesperson told Reuters.

Ye’s Twitter account has only been locked for now – not suspended or banned – but enough of these restrictions could eventually lead to it being temporarily suspended or permanently banned. Twitter is yet to say how long it will restrict Ye’s account — or how close he might be to being suspended or even permanently booted.

But with the social media platform on the brink of being sold to Musk, advocacy groups fear the platform will once again become a cesspool of abuse and hate, especially for women, minorities and members of the LGBTQ community, according to an AP report.

This, of course, assumes the $44 billion deal will go through this time, which is far from a foregone conclusion.