Social media giant Twitter prohibits certain journalists who report on Elon Musk from accessing their accounts.
In a recent turn of events, Twitter has implemented a new regulation that forbids the sharing of online location information, including information shared on Twitter or links to third-party URLs of travel courses. This new policy has sparked controversy, particularly after several journalists and notable accounts were suspended.
Among the suspended accounts are those from esteemed media outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, Mashable, and independent journalists Aaron Rupar and Tony Webster. The Intercept's Micha Lee and German journalists Alina Lipp, Thomas Röper, and Hüseyin Doğru also found their accounts temporarily blocked.
The owner of the account @ElonJet, Jack Sweeney, a 20-year-old student, also had his personal account blocked. This account tracked Elon Musk's private jet, a service that Musk himself had criticised in the past. Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, confirmed the new regulation introduced on Wednesday.
CNN expressed concern about the impulsive and unjustified suspension of several reporters and has asked Twitter for an explanation, stating they will reassess their relationship based on that response. The New York Times representative called the suspensions "suspicious and unfavorable" and stated that neither the paper nor reporter Ryan Mac received any explanation for the action.
Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, has not directly commented on the suspensions. However, he did state in a tweet that "criticizing me all day long is completely fine, but doxxing my real-time place and endangering my family is not." This statement seems to be in response to a reported incident where a "stalker" used live location sharing to locate and confront an automobile carrying Musk's children in Los Angeles.
Interestingly, the suspensions are not directly related to the new regulation. They are reportedly associated with the live sharing of location information. Twitter has clarified that accounts engaged in doxxing receive a temporary seven-day suspension.
There is also a debate about 'blacklisting' following the Twitter Files, a term not directly related to the suspensions of journalists but might be relevant context for some readers.
Elon Musk has pledged to take legal action against Jack Sweeney and "organizations who supported harm to my family." The New York Times reported that Mastodon, an alternative to Twitter since Musk's purchase for $44bn in October, used Twitter to advertise Sweeney's new account on Thursday. Twitter also suspended the main account of Mastodon following Mastodon's promotion of Sweeney's new account on Twitter.
This sudden wave of suspensions has raised concerns about the future of journalism on Twitter and the implications of Musk's ownership on the platform's policies. As the situation unfolds, it is crucial for Twitter and Musk to provide clear and transparent explanations to ensure the safety and freedom of speech for all users, especially journalists.
