Musk Won’t Decide On Banned Twitter Accounts For ‘Weeks’—Here Are The Changes He Reportedly Wants To Implement On The Platform

Topline

Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk on Wednesday insisted that no decisions will be made on restoring banned Twitter accounts for at least a “few more weeks” as the company tries to put a clear process in place for doing so, amid reports that advertisers are planning to cut back spending on the platform over content moderation concerns.

Key Facts

Responding to a tweet about Twitter’s effort to combat election misinformation, Musk said users who were “de-platformed for violating Twitter rules” will not be allowed back until the company sets up a content moderation council he expects will take weeks.

This effectively rules out the return of former President Donald Trump and several other banned right-wing figures to the platform before the midterm elections.

Musk’s statement is likely an attempt to address concerns about the moderation of hateful content and disinformation on Twitter which has reportedly prompted some advertising giants to advise brands to halt spending on the platform until it resolves its issues.

On Tuesday evening, Musk doubled down on his controversial plan to charge users $8 per month for a verified badge on their account by paywalling the feature behind an updated version of Twitter Blue.

Musk said complainers can “continue complaining” but he will not budge on the $8 monthly fee—something he believes will help reduce Twitter’s reliance on advertisers.

News Peg

According to various reports and Musk’s own comments, the platform will likely see some radical changes soon with a focus on monetization. On Tuesday, Musk outlined his vision for a revamped Twitter Blue subscription service that will come with the privilege of a verified badge. Although details remain vague, subscribers will also receive “priority” in replies, mentions & search, the ability to post longer videos and audio clips and fewer ads, Musk said. Musk also claimed that subscribers will be able to bypass paywalls from news publishers who are “willing to work” with Twitter. According to the Washington Post, Musk’s team is also working on a feature that will allow users to paywall the videos they tweet out. This means that users will have to pay a fee to watch the video, with Twitter receiving a cut from the transactions. This would put Twitter in competition with platforms like Patreon and the adult-focussed OnlyFans, but the team building the feature reportedly deems it “high risk.” There are some concerns about the proliferation of copyrighted content, along with adult content, as Twitter allows users to post nudity and pornographic content, the report added. In August, the Verge reported that Twitter’s old leadership had ditched plans to build an OnlyFans competitor over concerns that it would not adequately be able to crack down on child sexual abuse material. It is unclear if the new regime believes it is better equipped to tackle this issue.

Key Background

On Monday, Twitter’s Head of Safety and Integrity Yoel Roth acknowledged the platform had seen a “surge in hateful conduct” in the days following Musk’s takeover of the company. Musk, who fashions himself as a “free speech absolutist” had previously expressed displeasure about how the platform handles content moderation. Roth, however, suggested Twitter’s recent surge in hate content had been driven by a small group of “repeat bad actors” through a “focused, short-term trolling campaign.” Musk himself came under fire over the weekend after tweeting a unfounded conspiracy theory about the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Several other users have also attempted to test the limits of moderation on the platform under the new regime by tweeting out slurs and random bits of disinformation.

Tangent

Comedian Tim Heidecker was the latest to test Twitter’s new content moderation measures by urging his followers to tweet with the hashtag “#TrumpIsDead.” Heidecker, who is known for his surreal humor, tweeted: “1. Trump is dead (died badly) 2. @elonmusk has suppressed this news (or has he?) 3. Donald Trump Junior is now just plain Donald Trump.” At the time of publishing, the comedian’s tweet has received more than 9,200 retweets with the hashtag “#TrumpIsDead” briefly trending in the U.S.

Further Reading

Twitter Will Sell Coveted Blue Checkmark For $8 A Month, Musk Says—But Benefits Still Unclear (Forbes)

Elon Musk’s Twitter is working on a ‘high’-risk paid video feature (Washington Post)

Twitter Safety Head Admits ‘Surge In Hateful Conduct’ As Firm Reportedly Limits Access To Moderation Tools (Forbes)

Not Just Trump: Here Are The Other Notorious Names—Jones, Shkreli, Yiannopoulos Included—Who Could Be Unbanned On Twitter (Forbes)