Apparently, “Vox Populi” has spoken, and they want former President Donald Trump back on Twitter. A thin majority of 51.8 percent of 15 million poll respondents (including, most likely, bots) voted in favor of Trump’s return. Since purchasing Twitter, Musk has moved at light speed with little care for consequences. Immediately after elevating himself to self-proclaimed chief twit, Musk shoved out chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, the leader of all things trust and safety. Musk then fired 3,000 people who put Gadde’s policies into practice: the contractors “behind the screen” who dealt with reports of hate speech, harassment, stalking, threats, nonconsensual intimate imagery, spam, and other violations of Twitter’s rules. In one fell swoop, content moderation at Twitter was eviscerated. Before getting into what it might mean if Trump starts tweeting again, it is helpful to appreciate what Musk has disassembled and what he will likely try to reassemble once perils become clear and advertisers flee.
Citation
Danielle Citron & Hany Farid, This Is the Worst Time for Donald Trump to Return to Twitter, Slate (November 20, 2022).
UVA Law Faculty Affiliations
Danielle K. Citron
Center for Criminal Justice
Intellectual Property
National Security Law Center
Family Law Center
Center for the First Amendment
LawTech Center
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