“I have invested in Twitter because I believe in its potential to be the platform for freedom of expression around the world.” Even before his purchase of the social network for 41,000 million euros, the technology tycoon Elon Musk he had already made it clear that his bet was not a question of power or money, but of principles. Beyond the real intentions that the operation hides, his promise to “transform” Twitter into a paradise without restrictions on what one can say is much more complex than it seems.
The purchase of Twitter by the richest man on the planet has opened a sea of doubts about how this will affect the functioning of the social network. In recent months, Musk has criticized the platform’s content moderation policies, pointing out that they do not respect his absolute concept of freedom of expression. That suggests that, after taking control, he could limit that moderation.
Musk has also remarked that he doesn’t like permanent account suspensions and advocates temporary suspensions. That could open the door of Twitter to the return of the former US president donald trumpwho was expelled for supporting the violent insurrection of his followers against the Washington Capitol, in an attempt to forcibly stop the certification of his opponent’s electoral victory, Joe Biden.
capital problem
With 353 million monthly active users worldwide, Twitter is small compared to Facebook, Instagram either Youtube. However, his influence is not directly proportional to the volume of his followers, but much higher. Twitter is one of the main digital communication spaces for politicians, journalists and activists around the world, a “public square” that makes its operation key to modulating global public opinion on political, social and cultural issues.
By “free speech”, I simply mean that which matches the law.
I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask the government to pass laws to that effect.
Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2022
This Tuesday, Musk gave some more clues to his intentions. “By ‘freedom of expression’ I simply mean what is within the law. I am against censorship that goes beyond the law,” he tweeted. Applying this absolutist interpretation to Twitter is neither easy nor recommended. One platform that has gone down that marginal path is 8kunformerly known as 8chanknown for hosting debates on child pornography, for being the home where the Trump QAnon conspiracy arose, and for being the space where neo-fascist terrorists such as Brenton Tarrant published anti-Semitic, misogynistic and Islamophobic manifestos before carrying out several massacres.
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The reality is also much more complex than Musk’s tweet, which is limited to the context of USA. There, the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees a very broad interpretation of freedom of expression. Thus, pornography disinformationthe hate speech against racial minorities, homophobia or the exaltation of Nazism are protected by this principle and are not considered illegal.
However, only 25% of users are from the US. Twitter is an international platform with an impact in very different countries with very different laws. In Germany, the legislation prohibits Nazism, and in Japan – the second country with the most users of the platform – hard porn is illegal. What will happen then? And in countries where the law uses concepts like ‘terrorism’ to persecute and silence the opposition? Beyond simplistic tweets, Musk will have to answer that.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism