Elon Musk, the richest man , said Tuesday that he would allow former US President Donald Trump to return to Twitter after the purchase of the platform is completed. It was recently reported that the billionaire would buy the social networking company , but the acquisition has not yet been completed. It is expected to be approved by the end of the year.
Musk said at an event yesterday that permanently removing Trump from Twitter was “morally wrong” and “stupid.” The platform, like other similar social media platforms, suspended Trump’s accounts in January 2021 after his supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol.
"I think it was wrong to ban Donald Trump from using Twitter," Elon Musk said at the Future of the Car event via video.
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“I think it was wrong, because it alienated a large part of the country and ultimately did not result in Donald Trump not having a voice,” he said, citing the new technology platform the former president has created, Truth Social.
“ I would revoke the permanent ban ,” said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO .
In statements about buying Twitter, Elon Musk has previously said his goal is to allow and promote free speech on the platform, in accordance with the laws of each country. This could mean, however, that rules against harassment or hate speech are removed or not enforced, which could alienate some users.
Twitter's CEO at the time Trump was removed, Jack Dorsey, had defended the ban on security grounds.
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For his part, Donald Trump said last month that he wouldn't return to Twitter even if he were allowed to, telling Fox News that he was committed to his own platform, Truth Social. Will he change his mind if Musk does allow his return?
People who support the existence of measures and controls on social mediato prevent harassment and hate speech said they are concerned about Musk's decisions and what else he will allow to happen on Twitter.
“It won’t just be Trump who will come back with Musk,” said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America.
“There are dozens of people, from Alex Jones to Roger Stone to active white nationalists, who will also have their accounts restored“.
Before and during his presidency, Trump was an avid Twitter user. The platform was his primary channel of communication with his supporters, as well as opponents and the media.
His outspoken tweets have sparked backlash several times. For example, in 2018, Trump used Twitter to mock North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
This sparked a debate about whether Trump had violated Twitter's rules, and days later, platform changed their terms of service to allow world leaders to violate the rules without losing their accounts.
But after the events on Capitol Hill in January 2021, things changed.
Twitter, as well as other platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, decided to remove the former president.
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Elon Musk, however, believes that Trump could return to Twitter, as the billionaire does not agree with the permanent bans. The Tesla CEO said that he had spoken with Dorsey about the permanent bans and argued that in his opinion they undermine trust in Twitter as a service.
“I think permanent bans fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where anyone can express their opinion.” However, he stressed that this does not mean that anyone can say whatever they want on the platform. “If something is said that is illegal or destructive to the public, then maybe there will be a timeout, a temporary suspension, or the tweet could be deleted or made invisible,” he said.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
