Elon Musk recently imposed a ban on several tech journalists concerning the breach of the company’s new policy. Also, the banned reporters were also suspected of promoting technologies that expose the user’s identity and location.
The journalists that were suspended from Twitter include- Drew Harvell (Washington Post), Donie O’Sullivan (CNN), and Ryan Mac (New York Times).
Also Read: Why Did Elon Musk Suspend Mastodon’s Twitter Account?
Elon Musk Suspension Trial
Elon Musk initiated the suspension trial using a poll in which Twitter users voted for the options considering which the suspension was ordered. The first trial that was conducted included several options that created a dubiety and later caused the inappropriate suspension.
Elon then conducted another poll which included only two options to vote for-
- Hold the ban for one week
- Immediately free the journalists from the ban
The poll was conducted for 24 hours, and as per the results; 3.2 million people voted on the poll out of which 58.7 people supported to free the journalists from the ban after which Elon Musk without any further ado revived the banned accounts of the journalists.
Elon shared a tweet just after the poll saying the banned accounts will be restored as per the results from the poll. Elon further said in his tweet that “The people have spoken.”
Also Read: Elon Musk $44 billion Twitter Deal!
Elon lately faced criticism over his decision, European Union warned him to either reconsider the decision or face strict allegations. Also, Germany’s Foreign Minister tweeted his concern on the impact of this move on freedom of journalism.
#Pressefreiheit darf nicht nach Belieben ein- und ausgeschaltet werden. Unten stehende Journalisten können auch uns ab heute nicht mehr folgen, kommentieren und kritisieren. Damit haben wir ein Problem @Twitter. pic.twitter.com/Cliuih8Gyq
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) December 16, 2022
“#Freedom of the press must not be switched on and off at will. As of today, the journalists below can no longer follow, comment or criticize us. We have a problem with that @Twitter.”