Elon Musk has solely been in management of Twitter for a short while, however he’s already making massive strikes. Musk fired various key executives on day one, together with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, however in a brand new tweet he claims he’ll be shifting extra slowly with regards to making content material moderation choices.
Musk hasn’t mentioned a lot since taking on at Twitter, however he’ll apparently kind some form of coverage advisory physique to supervise content material moderation choices. Musk mentioned the group will mirror “various viewpoints,” although we’ll actually have to attend and see on that one.
Importantly, Musk says he received’t be making any main choices or account reinstatements — i.e. restoring former President Donald Trump — earlier than the council is put in place. As a result of it’s Musk, that may occur inside hours or it may not occur in any respect, it’s laborious to say.
On Thursday, Musk additionally let go of Vijaya Gadde, a well-respected prime coverage govt on the firm who helped navigate complicated authorized and moderation points for greater than 11 years. Eliminating Gadde was a sign {that a} new period with totally different determination making is starting, for higher or worse.
The tweet is probably going extra balm for skittish advertisers cautious of Musk instantly turning the platform into an anything-goes mess of harassment, hate and misinformation. Whereas Twitter arguably already meets that description with present ranges of moderation in place, advertisers are waiting for any main shifts within the form of content material allowed on the platform and the way it may adversely have an effect on their manufacturers.
Musk may suppose that is an authentic thought, however Twitter already consults a belief and security council to advise its product and coverage choices. The council — it’s already known as a council — consisted initially of 40 organizations and consultants that suggested it in difficult coverage areas. That group served in additional of an advisory capability, and in contrast to with Meta’s Oversight Board, it wasn’t designed to create binding choices.
First introduced in 2016, Twitter expanded the entity in 2020 to kind teams devoted to particular tough subjects, together with security and on-line harassment, digital rights, baby sexual exploitation and suicide prevention. “Lots of what we at present do, comparable to ongoing conferences with NGOs, activists and different organizations is at all times a part of our course of, however we haven’t completed sufficient to share that externally,” Twitter wrote on the time.
It’s attainable Musk has one thing extra just like the Oversight Board in thoughts with regards to content material moderation determination making, however every little thing from the individuals who wind up serving on a hypothetical council to the character of the group’s impression is prone to be controversial.
