Midterm elections in the US are due in November. (Representative)
Washington:
Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk could spark a new wave of election misinformation, as voters are casting ballots, political and media experts say with the US midterm election less than two weeks away which would determine the control of Congress for the next two years.
Musk, the CEO of electric car maker Tesla, says he is a “autocratic” free speech and has vowed to rein in the chatter within the social media app, which has in recent years attempted to limit toxic content that has been banned. It was considered dangerously wrong or discriminatory, even though its global impact became widespread.
Musk on Thursday sought to allay fears by telling Twitter advertisers that the platform “can’t become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said without consequences!”
But Musk has expressed doubts about the site’s permanent ban of figures like former President Donald Trump, who lost his account – and its nearly 90 million followers – shortly after January 6, 2021, on the US Capitol by his mob. was attacked. Supporter. Trump used his account to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Musk has also indicated that he will ease the site’s moderation policies, and that his plan to make major cuts to employees may also hinder the site’s ability to police its content, which many have struggled to do in the past. had to do.
“The bird is set free,” he wrote on Twitter after completing the acquisition on Thursday.
It is unclear how much of an impact the more lax Twitter will have on political discourse ahead of the November 8 general election. Early voting has already begun in many states, and polls show that most voters have already made up their mind.
If some candidates refuse to accept the result and lament fraud, a more permissive Twitter may help prop up false narratives about key election results in the days after November 8 as some fear could.
Republicans say several social media platforms are biased against him, and several conservative Twitter accounts – including Republican politicians – on Friday welcomed Musk’s acquisition. Democrats fear Trump supporters will promote far-right ideas on Twitter or false claims of election fraud if allowed.
The site has been a major political tool for years, giving politicians and activists around the world the ability to reach millions of people with largely unfiltered rhetoric. Twitter has played a role in organizing large-scale campaigns, including the #MeToo movement targeting sexual misconduct and the Arab Spring protests in the Middle East.
However, critics warn that the site has facilitated the spread of both misinformation—false or misleading information—and propaganda—purposefully false information—that undermine democratic principles and give foreign actors an opportunity to interfere. provides.
“(Acquisition of Musk) could certainly create a huge pathway for disinformation agents to spread harmful information on the platform,” said Yosef Getachev, director of the Media and Democracy Program at Common Cause, a non-partisan public interest organization.
“Content moderation policies are only effective if there are people out there to enforce them and systems in place to make sure they are being enforced. If those rules are going to be out the window, that’s unbelievable. going to be seriously harmful.”
Polls show Democrats may be on the verge of losing their razor-thin majority in Congress on Nov.
Trump question?
Since his ban, Trump has launched his own social media app, Truth Social, and has said he will not return to Twitter even if Musk reinstates them. On Friday morning, he posted to his 4.4 million followers on Truth Social, saying the app has a “larger number” than all other platforms, including Twitter, in a clear indication that he doesn’t intend to switch. .
“I’m so glad Twitter is now in wiser hands, and will no longer be run by radical leftists and lunatics who really hate our country,” he wrote, adding, “I love truth!”
Following the 2016 presidential election, when US security agencies concluded that Russia had used social media to increase influence campaigns aimed at manipulating results, Twitter and other social media sites reported misinformation with mixed success. intensified its efforts to contain the spread of
Twitter sought to put an end to false tweets about the coronavirus pandemic, when misinformation about the scale of the disease and the efficacy of various medical treatments—explained by some political leaders—spread widely, in a public health backlash. An obstacle occurred.
Following the 2020 election, Twitter permanently banned Trump and some of his aides, such as attorney Sidney Powell and pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell, who echoed their false claims that the election had been stolen. The site has also removed thousands of accounts linked to right-wing extremist groups like the Proud Boys and a far-right conspiracy theory known as QAnon.
But some experts have questioned whether those efforts are enough given the sheer volume and speed of misinformation online. A company whistleblower said earlier this year that Twitter had prioritized user growth over reducing spam and bots; The company rejected his account.
Conservatives have accused the site of censoring their views for political reasons, a charge Twitter has denied.
Marjorie Taylor Green, Republican Georgia congresswoman and Trump maintainer whose personal account was permanently banned in January for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, tweeted, “Freedom of expression!” From his official Congressional account on Thursday.
Rapper Kanye West, whose Twitter account was suspended for posting anti-Semitic remarks, appeared active again on Friday.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)