Tech
Elon Musk Re-Activates Journalists’ Twitter Accounts
(CTN NEWS) – Elon Musk restored the Twitter accounts of a number of journalists that had been suspended for a day due to a dispute over the publication of open information regarding the billionaire’s aircraft.
The extraordinary bans on Friday drew sharp criticism from government representatives, advocacy groups.
And journalistic organizations from around the world; some said that the microblogging platform was endangering press freedom.
Unsuspend accounts who doxxed my exact location in real-time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 16, 2022
The reinstatements followed those suspensions.
Elon Musk later ran a Twitter Poll, which revealed that the majority of the participants desired the accounts to be promptly restored.
“The conversation is over. My location was doxxed by accounts, and their suspension has been lifted “On Saturday, Elon Musk stated in a tweet.
A request for comment from Reuters did not receive a response right away from Twitter.
The people have spoken.
Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now. https://t.co/MFdXbEQFCe
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022
A review by Reuters revealed that the accounts that had been suspended, including those of journalists from the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post, had been restored.
The suspensions were earlier denounced by EU representatives from France, Germany, Britain, and the United Kingdom.
Critics view the incident—dubbed the “Thursday Night Massacre” by one prominent security researcher—as new proof that Elon Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist,” silences users and speech he finds offensive.
Everybody sticking around Twitter because they didn't want to cede the space should probably take account of this Thursday Night Massacre and move their main posting elsewhere.
You can find me at:https://t.co/tRrvGDI7UV https://t.co/YLWzu6BgWW
— Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) December 16, 2022
Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer run by Musk, had its stock decline 4.7% on Friday and post its worst weekly loss since March 2020 as investors grew more concerned about his propensity for distraction and the deteriorating global economy.
The French minister of industry, Roland Lescure, stated on Friday that he would stop using Twitter after Elon Musk suspended journalists.
Suite à la suspension de comptes de journalistes par @elonmusk, je suspends toute activité sur @Twitter jusqu’à nouvel ordre.
— Roland Lescure (@RolandLescure) December 16, 2022
The suspensions left Melissa Fleming, the head of communications for the UN, “very upset,” and she tweeted that “media freedom is not a toy.”
https://twitter.com/MelissaFleming/status/1603763517642907655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1603763517642907655%7Ctwgr%5Eee5f0812db600d6b932b6d6642573e14d3346a68%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geo.tv%2Flatest%2F459163-elon-musk-restores-twitter-accounts-of-journalists-after-suspensions-draw-backlash
Twitter received a warning from the German Foreign Office that the ministry had a concern with actions that threatened press freedom.
RELATED CTN NEWS:
SpaceX Launches ‘SWOT’ Mission To Orbit To Explore Ocean Secrets