JOIN USElon Musk explains what he means by ‘free speech’ on Twitter
Electric carmaker Tesla and rocket maker SpaceX owner, Elon Musk has said he plans to take Twitter private and that he wants to improve the product and promote free speech on the platform.
With that, Musk who describes himself as a "free-speech absolutist," has left rights groups fearful that Twitter will provide a forum for hate speech and disinformation under his ownership.
Musk has not specified exactly what restrictions he intends to roll back, but stated in a tweet Tuesday that he is "against censorship that goes far beyond the law."
Musk has said that by “free speech” he means that “matches the law,” and added, “I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.”
By “free speech”, I simply mean that which matches the law.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2022
I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.
Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
"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," Musk added in his Tweet.
As per Musk’s tweet, Twitter’s free-speech policy will not be against the law.
However, experts say that once at the helm, Musk may find that staying true to his free speech instincts isn't so simple.
In the European Union for example, Twitter will have to comply with the new Digital Services Act, a major piece of EU legislation ensuring tougher consequences when platforms host banned content.
"He's going to have to have some form of content moderation policy. That's going to be challenging for Musk," New York University politics and media expert Joshua Tucker told AFP.
The entrepreneur will also be wary about making too many changes that contribute to users flocking away from the site, analysts say.
"If it becomes a place of hateful content and it chases away journalists, then it loses its value," Karen North, professor of digital social media at the Annenberg journalism school in California told AFP.
(With inputs from agencies)
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