When Elon Musk completed its $44 billion takeover Twitter Last month, advertisers and individual users feared what might happen to the site at the hands of a self-described “free speech autocrat.”
Musk sought to address their concerns by announcing the creation of a “new content moderation committee with widely diverse views,” promising that there would be no “substantive content decisions.” or restore the account before that council convenes.”
But it seems the troll isn’t exactly telling the whole story.
In footage of the company’s Zoom call on Saturday obtained by TMZ, Musk revealed that although the council would indeed be formed, it would be completely powerless. In a shocking turn, he says the ultimate decision-making power will rest solely with him.
“We’re going to form a content board, but it’s an advisory board,” Musk said on the call. “It is not… They are not real people… At the end of the day, I will decide, and like any pretense the opposite is simply not true. Because obviously I can choose who’s on that content panel and I don’t have to listen to what they have to say.”
The revelation comes after a series of recent controversial decisions about how Twitter works and who gets involved in it. Last weekend, Donald Trump was reinstated on the site after Musk conducted a user poll on the matter. But the former president, who was locked out of the platform after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, said he intends to stick with his foundation. Social Truth platform, adding that Twitter has “a lot of problems.”
West Kanye was also granted access to his account on Sunday after it was locked after a series of hateful comments, including a tweet promising to “kill a Jew for the 3rd time”. Within hours of returning to the site, West gave a troll message that read: “Shalom :)”
Last month, Musk said that Twitter won’t become a “free exit for all” on his watch. But critics say their worst fears are coming true. Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, speak Musk’s decision to reinstate Trump “shows he’s not serious about protecting the platform from hate, harassment, and misinformation.”
Several public figures have also headed out to protest Musk’s reign at Twitter. Model Gigi Hadid called the site a “hate reservoir” when she closed her account earlier this month, while the head of Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor slam “billionaire arrogance” and called the site a “toxic environment” before he left. musk answered to Reznor’s remarks by calling him “the crying child”.
Despite controversial visits to the site, Musk has staunchly refused to reinstate the conspiracy theorist’s account. Alex Jones despite objections from his supporters. On Sunday, musk said his decision was informed by the experience of losing his first son to sudden infant death syndrome. “I have no mercy on anyone who takes advantage of the deaths of children for profit, politics or fame,” Musk added.
