Under the leadership of its CEO Elon Musk, Twitter has restored tens of thousands of previously banned accounts, including some close to conspiracy and anti-vaccination circles, at the risk of reviving a phenomenon of misinformation on the social network.
According to developer Travis Brown, quoted by several organizations, more than 27,000 reinstated accounts had been banned for “misinformation”, “harassment” and “expressions of hatred”.
However, according to this specialist, this list would be incomplete, the number of these problematic accounts could therefore be further enhanced.
A permanent suspension, "a disproportionate measure" according to Twitter
"Restoring these accounts will make the platform a magnet for actors who want to spread false information," warns Jonathan Nagler, co-director of the Center on Social Media and Politics at NYU (New York University).
“And there will be less moderation of hate speech, which will make the network less hospitable for many users,” adds the professor.
Among the former outcasts again authorized on the social network, there is also former President Donald Trump, who nevertheless keeps, for the moment, to his promise not to return and to use only the social network Truth Social, which he created himself last year.
"Under the Musk era, 'super-spreaders' of disinformation feel emboldened and readers have less evidence on the reliability of sources," said Jack Brewster of the NewsGuard media observatory.
In mid-December, Twitter had indicated in a publication on its platform that a "permanent suspension was a disproportionate measure for breaking the rules" of the social network.
Elon Musk then clarified that Twitter “remains committed to preventing dangerous content” on its site, as well as “malicious actors”.
“Reinstated accounts must always follow our rules.”
By the Web
Are there more and more account suspensions on Twitter?
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Twitter: Elon Musk announces reinstatement of suspended accounts
Twitter
Elon Musk
Conspiracy
Antivaccine
By the Web