Musk: Twitter has no ‘actual choice’ as it complies with government censorship requests

May 30, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Reporter/Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Reporter/Producer)

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Twitter CEO Elon Musk is responding to criticism over allegations the platform has been complying with an increasing number of censorshi p demands. Musk, who recently arrived in Beijing to strengthen business ties with China, claimed that Twitter has no “actual choice” when it comes to government compliance.

Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias shared a report on Twitter’s censorship, seemingly mocking Musk’s past comments.

You’re such a numbskull. Please point out where we had an actual choice and we will reverse it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 28, 2023

The tweet prompted a response from Musk.

“Please point out where we had an actual choice, and we’ll reverse it,” Musk tweeted.

For context, in some countries Twitter could risk substantial fines and other penalties — including, potentially, bans of the platform — for not complying with local laws, reported CNN.

Musk has previously said the company would comply with laws governing social media companies around the world.

However, some users argue that Musk, with his vision of a free speech platform, does have the choice to refuse compliance and face the consequences. When this was pointed out by Yglesias, Musk responded “Insufferable numbskull.”

Insufferable numbskull
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2023

Meanwhile, there is mounting international pressure for more censorship on Twitter.

France’s Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that the U.S. company would be banned from the EU if it refused to follow the incoming European Digital Services Act, which goes into effect throughout the EU at the end of August, reported Politico.

These comments come only days after Twitter withdrew from the EU’s voluntary disinformation code of practice.

The code spells out obligations for large digital platforms on tracking political advertising, clamping down on disinformation, and encouraging wider access and participation to outsiders.

“Disinformation is one of the gravest threats weighing on our democracies,” Barrot said. “Twitter, if it repeatedly doesn’t follow our rules, will be banned from the EU,” the French minister added.

While Twitter has not directly addressed how it will respond to the matter, Musk has suggested that Twitter’s current censorship practices are a lesser evil.

Exactly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2023

One user defended Musk by stating that it is “up to the people to elect a government that upholds their natural rights and respects the power of the people.” She added Twitter “does not have the power to do this.”

Musk responded tweeting “Exactly.”

In last recent removal request report before Musk’s takeover, Twitter said it received more than 47,000 removal requests between July and December 2021, and complied with 51% of them. Recent reports indicate Twitter under Musk has approved 83% of censorship requests, including those filed by authoritarian governments.

Tags: Censorship, China, Elon Musk, European Union, Free Speech, Twitter

TWITTER CEO ELON MUSK IS DEFENDING HIS ACTIONS THIS WEEK ON TWITTER AMID ACCUSATIONS HE IS CAVING TO A RECORD NUMBER OF CENSORSHIP DEMANDS ON THE PLATFORM

THE BILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN WHO LANDED IN BEIJING THIS WEEK TO SHORE UP HIS BUSINESS TIES WITH CHINA – IS FACING PUSHBACK HERE IN THE US FOLLOWING REPORTS HIS PLATFORM HAS COMPLIED WITH MORE GOVERNMENT REQUESTS TO CENSOR POSTED CONTENT NOW THAN BEFORE HE TOOK CONTROL

NOW RESPONDING TO THOSE REPORTS MUSK SAYS TWITTER HAS NO ACTUAL CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNMENT MANDATED CENSORSHIP..

THIS IS A STORY NOT RECEIVING WIDE COVERAGE VIA RIGHT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ACCORDING TO OUR MEDIA MISS TOOL … MOST OF THE COVERAGE IS COMING FROM CENTER AND LEFT-ORIENTED NEWS OUTLETS – WE’RE CHOOSING TO REPORT THIS TO GIVE YOU THE CONTEXT ONE SIDE MAY NEGLECT

BLOOMBERG COLUMNIST MATHEW IGLESIAS SHARED THE REPORT OF TWITTER’S CENSORSHIP – PROMPTING THIS RESPONSE FROM MUSK..QUOTE PLEASE POINT OUT WHERE WE HAD AN ACTUAL CHOICE AND WE’LL REVERSE IT

IT’S WORTH NOTING DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD IMPOSE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS ON FREE EXPRESSION AND IF TWITTER FAILS TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL LAWS, THEY COULD FACE PENALTIES SUCH AS FINES OR EVEN A POTENTIAL BAN IN CERTAIN REGIONS. – MUSK KNEW THIS AND PREVIOUSLY INDICATED TWITTER WOULD COMPLY

HOWEVER GIVEN ELON MUSK’S VISION OF A FREE SPEECH PLATFORM SOME USERS ARGUE MUSK HAS A CHOICE TO REFUSE AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH. WHEN THIS WAS POINTED OUT BY THE BLOOMBERG COLUMNIST, MUSK REPLIED WITH THIS INSULT

MEANWHILE MORE PRESSURE FOR CENSORSHIP ON TWITTER AFTER FRANCE’S DIGITAL MINISTER WENT ON THE OFFENSE QUOTE “TWITTER, IF IT REPEATEDLY DOESN’T FOLLOW OUR RULES, WILL BE BANNED FROM THE EU”

THAT’S IN RESPONSE TO TWITTER RECENTLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE EU’S VOLUNTARY DISINFORMATION CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH SPELLS OUT RULES FOR BIG TECH TO CLAMP DOWN ON SUPPOSED DISINFORMATION

WHILE TWITTER HAS NOT DIRECTLY RESPONDED TO HOW THEY’LL REACT MUSK IS MAKING THE CASE TWITTER’S CENSORSHIP PRACTICES RIGHT NOW IS A LESSER OF TWO EVILS:

CENSOR SOME CONTENT ON TWITTER TO AVOID A TOTAL BAN *OR* REFUSE TO LIMIT CONTENT AND RISK SOME USERS GETTING ZERO ACCESS

DEFENDING MUSK THIS USER WROTE IT’S UP TO THE PEOPLE TO ELECT A GOVERNMENT WHO ENSHRINES THEIR NATURAL RIGHTS AND RESPECTS THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE … TWITTER DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS – TO WHICH MUSK RESPONDED *EXACTLY*

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS BREAKDOWN – FOR CONTINUED COVERAGE ON THIS STORY – YOU CAN VISIT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS .COM