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When Elon Musk reached a deal to buy Twitter on Monday, he promised to bring free speech and discussion back to the platform, saying it was “a cornerstone of a functioning democracy.”
Whether a less moderated social network would be good or bad has become a hot topic of discussion on Twitter itself among influencers and politicians from across the political spectrum.
On the right, the deal was widely celebrated. Many conservatives’ tweets heralded a new era of free speech owned by Mr. Musk – where topics that had previously been moderated could now be published openly.
Some members of the far right have begun testing the limits of a less regulated platform, tweeting critical of the transgender community, doubting the effectiveness of masks, or claiming that the 2020 election results are fraudulent. had has been moderated by tagging or removing false information or suspending accounts that spread it.
“Millions of Americans have been stifling their thoughts and opinions on this platform for YEARS for fear of being suspended/cancelled,” said John Rich, a member of country music duo Big and Rich. said in a tweet It received more than 50,000 likes. “I feel the dam is about to break.”
Michael Knowles, a conservative podcaster, repeated the false claim on Monday He said that “the 2020 presidential election, which received more than 70,000 likes, was clearly fraudulent.” Republican Representative Andy Barr from Kentucky, I said Stories about “Hunter Biden’s laptop or evidence that COVID emerged from the Wuhan lab” could no longer be censored.
And Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, known for promoting conspiracy theories, few banned accounts — including former President Donald J. Trump, conspiratorial podcaster Alex Jones, and even his own personal account — will be reactivated.
His feelings resonated on the platform among far-right members who were banned from Twitter after violating their terms of service. Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser and now aligned with the QAnon conspiracy theory, reposted a message on his Telegram account suggesting that Twitter could be used to recruit or “wake up” others for his own purposes. .
“This is mind-blowing,” reading the post originally posted by a user named BioClandestine who was also banned from Twitter. “The impact of Twitter buying will be enormous as it relates to awakening norms. It’s already started.”
On the left, much of the conversation centered on how the deal exemplifies the immense power of billionaires.
“Something is deeply wrong with this country when one person buys a social media company on a whim for $44 billion while others have to skip meals to feed their children,” said Representative David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat who supports antitrust reforms. targeting tech giants, in a tweet. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren I said Mr. Musk’s purchase was a signal the United States needed to impose a wealth tax.
Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said: “Protecting the privacy of Americans must be a condition of any sale.” Former antitrust officials said they thought regulators would look closely at the deal but may have trouble finding a reason to block the deal, as Twitter isn’t competing with Mr Musk’s other big holdings.
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