Eddie Ho ‘25, News Staff Writer

Image Courtesy of Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. Many look to it for news or entertainment. Every tweet and comment helps people form opinions and over time, can shape the way they think. With Musk’s acquisition, regulation could be spare and inconsistent.

On April 25, 2022, Elon Musk agreed to acquire Twitter, Inc. for $44 billion. He announced that he would be cutting costs, adding new features, and promoting free speech on the platform. In July, Musk changed his mind and announced he would be canceling the agreement, citing the prevalence of automated bot accounts. Musk eventually went through with the deal on October 27, after Twitter threatened to sue for breach of contract. After taking the company private, he immediately fired top executives and laid off half of the workforce. Musk also reinstated many previously banned accounts. Former president Donald Trump’s account was restored on November 19. 

Trump proved that the site could be used to promote chaos and violence. During his presidency, he was a prolific tweeter, with posts ranging from campaign announcements to colorful insults of political opponents. During the 2020 election, however, he falsely claimed on the site that the election was stolen by voter fraud. On January 8, 2021, two days after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building protesting the election certification, Trump tweeted, “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”. He was banned the following day, under Twitter’s “glorification of violence” policy. 

 While Trump has not used the site since, his return marks a turning point on the issue of free speech, setting the precedent for other controversial figures to be reinstated. Kanye West, known for his music and his Yeezy shoe brand, was banned for antisemitic comments in October, only to have his account restored. Kanye proceeded to join Joe Rogan, who is facing more than $1 billion in defamation charges after denying the Sandy Hook school shootings, on a podcast. He praised Hitler repeatedly on the podcast and was eventually banned from Twitter on December 2 after posting a photo of a swastika. Elon Musk cited “Incitement of Violence” as the reason for the ban. Antisemitic harassment has risen following these comments and the message “Kanye was right” has appeared on posters and graffiti throughout the nation. 

While both Trump and West have used Twitter as a platform to spread messages of violence, one is banned, while the other is not. The line between free speech and dangerous misinformation has moved after Elon’s purchase, as bans have become less common. Just as dangerous is the blurring of that line. The bans of many public figures, West and Trump included, were carried out under the whims of Elon Musk alone. Musk also fired a large number of content moderation staffers in his latest round of layoffs for the company. Many of these staffers used to monitor posts for potentially harmful content. Both of these factors can lead to a dangerous environment where legitimate political discourse could be disallowed, while harmful messages could spread rampantly. This is especially true for accounts that do not receive national attention, as they could fly under the radar. Offering completely free speech to certain individuals can be a danger to public safety. 

In light of this, the issue of free speech has become one of the most divisive topics in America. Twitter is a huge player in social media and news. Inconsistent regulation and bans can leave this platform open to misinformation and bias, influencing everyone that uses it.  Twitter is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. Many look to it for news or entertainment. Every tweet and comment helps people form opinions and over time, can shape the way they think. With Musk’s acquisition, regulation could be spare and inconsistent. The bird has truly been freed from its cage.

 It is more important than ever for members of the NA community to think critically about whether a comment is harmful or not. This applies not only to Twitter but any online and in-person conversations. Immediately disregarding people with different opinions may only result in reinforcing them. Listening with an open mind can help one see the world in different ways. At the same time, comments that break our community guidelines should be reported with the Bias-Res System.