Elon Musk has implemented radical changes ever since he took ownership of Twitter. Last Friday, he held an impromptu poll asking Twitter’s 237.8 million-strong community if Donald J. Trump, former President of the United States, should be unbanned.
15 million people participated in the 24-hour vote. On Saturday, Elon Musk revealed the results, with 51,8% of voters choosing to revert the former president’s ban. On the same day, Elon Musk reinstated Donald Trump’s account, less than a year after his ban in January 2021. Musk was quick to respond following the vote; referring to a Latin quote meaning: “the voice of people, the voice of God”:
“The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.”
The decision has the Twitter userbase split. On one side, Musk’s supporters see the decision as a commitment to free speech. With many countries such as China, Russia, and the UAE enforcing heavy censorship laws that have led many to using VPN services – these users worry the platform might go the same way.
On the other side, people see Musk’s decision as a lack of commitment to moderation. Seeing as Musk’s takeover of Twitter has led to Musk facing a reality check seemingly every few days. Furthermore, Musk has been on a reinstation spree, unbanning multiple accounts formerly closed for hate speech. For these users, Musk had this to say:
“New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach. Negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.”
Musk’s Next Steps, Will Trump Come Back To Twitter?
Twitter users are concerned about Musk’s decision to have the poll last just 24 hours. Musk’s willingness to make decisions based on his own opinions and the voices of a small fraction of users leaves many worried on how he will handle Twitter moderation in the future.
In spite of these concerns, the tech billionaire still holds to the idea that Twitter should be a platform where everyone is allowed freedom of speech. Of course, this includes Donald Trump.
Amidst the controversy over his multiple lawsuits, Trump has reaffirmed his followers that he will be a candidate in the 2024 US presidential election. Supporters and opponents alike want to know whether he will be returning to Twitter in anticipation of the election.
Although the former president has been de-platformed on most mainstream social media, he’s still quite active on his own- Truth Social. Media & Technology Group own the platform, and ex-president Trump’s involvement has been one of its main selling points. Although Trump is pleased to hear about his Twitter account, he seems to be pledging to Truth Social, stating:
“Vote now with positivity, but don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere. Truth Social is special!”
Many are wondering if Trump will make his comeback on Twitter, and even if Twitter will be able to survive under Musk’s ownership.
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