MPs have asked Elon Musk to appear in London and give details to Parliament about his plans for Twitter. The invitation comes shortly after the billionaire said businesses and governments could face small fees to access the platform. Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, invited Mr Musk to appear and speak before MPs about Twitter.
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Knight said he wanted to hear more about Elon Musk's plans to verify people's identities on Twitter. He also wants to hear the billionaire's views on the criticism he has received for plans to strengthen free speech on the platform.
The day before yesterday, Musk tweeted that the site would always be free for ordinary users, but suggested that business and government users might face a fee.
Mr Knight said: “companies social media face the prospect of tighter regulation around the world, we are keen to hear more about how Mr Musk will strike a balance between his clear commitment to free speech and new obligations to protect Twitter users from anything that could harm them online.”
“Appearing before the committee will give Mr. Elon Musk the ideal opportunity to present his proposals for Twitter in greater depth, and we look forward to welcoming him“.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO recently agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion. The deal is expected to close later this year.
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Elon Musk has been very active on Twitter for years, but has criticized the platform recently, saying it doesn't allow for free speech. Now, as Twitter's owner, he has pledged to limit censorship, but also to crack down on spam bots and verify the identities of users.
In his letter to Mr Musk, sent last Friday, Mr Knight wrote: “My committee has been informed of the proposed acquisition of Twitter and we are interested in the developments you are proposing. In particular, your intention to roll out verification for all users is relevant to our calls to the UK government as part of the proposed legislation, which we hope will restore the UK public’s trust in digital platforms.”
Knight also said: “Our 2020 report on disinformation called for greater transparency on bots and automated and spam accounts, while our recent report on the UK’s Internet Safety Bill discussed ways to balance civil liberties, such as freedom of expression, with the need to tackle online child. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to invite you to speak before our committee and discuss your proposals in greater depth. I know you have expressed your wish for critics to remain on Twitter and this may be an opportunity to respond to any criticism publicly.”
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It is not yet known whether Elon Musk will travel to London to talk about Twitter's plans. The previous chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Damian Collins , has repeatedly tried to convince Meta CEO Mark . Zuckerberg to attend and provide details about the company's affairs, but he has not been successful
Source: news.sky.com
