Elon Musk reinstates Donald Trump's Twitter account...

[MenInG]

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk has said Donald Trump's account has been reinstated after running a poll in which users narrowly backed the move.

"The people have spoken," tweeted Mr Musk, saying that 51.8% of more than 15 million Twitter users voted for the ban to be lifted.

But the former US president may not return to the platform, earlier saying: "I don't see any reason for it".

His account was suspended in 2021 due to the risk of incitement of violence.

Twitter's previous management acted just days after Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC on 6 January.

Hundreds of rioters entered the complex as the US Congress attempted to certify Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. The ensuing violence led to the deaths of four civilians and a police officer.

Soon after the riots, Donald Trump's Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts, which all had tens of millions of followers - were also suspended.

Several months later, he launched his own social media platform, Truth Social.

Earlier this week, the Republican announced that he would once again run for the US presidency in 2024.

Mr Musk, the world's richest man, took control of Twitter in October in a $44bn (£37bn) deal.

He immediately embarked on a series of radical changes within the social media giant, amid concerns that he might loosen Twitter's regulations on hate speech and misinformation.

With just over a week before the US midterm elections on 8 November, he responded to questions about whether he would reinstate Mr Trump's account by tweeting: "If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if Trump is coming back on this platform, Twitter would be minting money!"

Earlier this week, he told employees that the company's office buildings would be temporarily closed, with immediate effect.

The announcement comes amid reports that large numbers of staff were quitting after Mr Musk called on them to sign up for "long hours at high intensity" or leave.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

This is the poll that Elon Musk conducted

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reinstate former President Trump</p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593767953706921985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Nov 19 (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Saturday said he had no interest in returning to Twitter even as a slim majority voted in favor of reinstating the former U.S. President, who was banned from the social media service for inciting violence, in a poll organized by new owner Elon Musk.

Slightly over 15 million Twitter users voted in the poll with 51.8% voting in favor of reinstatement.

"The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated," Musk tweeted.

Trump's Twitter account, which had over 88 million followers before he was banned on Jan. 8, 2021, began accumulating followers and had nearly 100,000 followers by 10pm ET Saturday. Some users initially reported being unable to follow the reinstated account on Saturday evening.

Trump had appeared less than keen earlier in the day.

"I don't see any reason for it," the former president said via video when asked whether he planned to return to Twitter by a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting.

He said he would stick with his new platform Truth Social, the app developed by his Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) startup, which he said had better user engagement than Twitter and was doing "phenomenally well".

Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump, who on Tuesday launched a bid to regain the White House in 2024, praised Musk and said he had always liked him. But Trump also said Twitter suffered from bots, fake accounts and that the problems it faced were "incredible".

Musk first said in May he planned to reverse the ban on Trump, and the timing of any return by Trump was closely watched - and feared - by many of Twitter's advertisers.

The billionaire has since sought to reassure users and advertisers that such a decision would be made with consideration by a content moderation council composed of people with "widely diverse viewpoints" and no account reinstatements would happen before the council convened.

He also said Twitter would not reinstate any banned users until there was a "clear process for doing so." read more

But this week, Musk reinstated comedian Kathy Griffin, who had been banned for changing her profile name to "Elon Musk" which violated his new rule against impersonation without indicating it was a parody account. There has been no new information about process or the moderation council.

NO REASON TO RETURN

A no-show by Trump could reduce concerns among major advertisers, who are already rattled by Musk's drastic reshaping of Twitter.

He has halved the workforce and severely cut the company's trust and safety team, which is responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation and harmful content.

These actions and Musk's tweeting have pushed major companies to halt advertising on the site as they monitor how the platform handles hate speech.

On Saturday, Bloomberg reported Twitter could fire more employees in its sales and partnership divisions, citing unnamed sources, just days after a mass resignation of engineers.

If Trump returned to Twitter, the move would raise questions about his commitment to Truth Social, which launched on Apple’s App Store in February and Google’s Play Store in October. Trump has some 4.57 million followers on Truth Social.

Truth Social has been Trump’s main source of direct communication with his followers since he began posting on the app regularly in May. He has used Truth Social to promote his allies, criticize opponents and defend his reputation amid legal scrutiny from state, congressional and federal investigators.

His agreement with the company, however, opens the door for Trump to engage extensively on other platforms. Trump is obligated to give Truth Social a six-hour exclusive on any post – but is free to post "political messaging, political fundraising or get-out-the vote efforts" on any site, at any time, according to a May SEC filing.

Reuters

 

[Robert]

Obviously I voted against. This is not a freedom of speech issue for me, because Trump wilfully and repeatedly misuses that freedom in order to spread falsehood.

It’s a shutting down a liar issue for me.

 

[Mamoon]

Obviously I voted against. This is not a freedom of speech issue for me, because Trump wilfully and repeatedly misuses that freedom in order to spread falsehood.

It’s a shutting down a liar issue for me.

That would mean shutting down nearly every politician. Why just Trump?

 

[sweep_shot]

Trump has launched his own social media. It is called Truth Social.

He no longer needs Twitter.

 

[Robert]

[/b]

That would mean shutting down nearly every politician. Why just Trump?

Trump is unique in liberal democracy. “Nearly all politicians” don’t make up giant lies like the 2020 election being stolen. “Nearly all politicians” don’t foment insurrections against the own government.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Social media seems to be so important.

 

[SalimBhai]

Trump is yesterdays news.

 

[James]

He doesn’t seem to have done a “comeback tweet” just yet…

 

[Technics 1210]

Superb news!

Laughing at liberals who want him blocked because Trump lies! Liberal lies are permissible though, even at government level!

The days of the fascist liberal are numbered. Liberals must stop pretending they are advocates of free speech, they are not, they are advocates of fascism and the people who agree with their warped and delusional ideology.

I am waiting for Liberals to announce their departure from Twitter now. )

 

[sweep_shot]

He doesn’t seem to have done a “comeback tweet” just yet…

He launched his own social media platform recently. He doesn't seem interested in returning to Twitter.

"I don't see any reason for it," the former president said via video when asked whether he planned to return to Twitter by a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting.

He said he would stick with his new platform Truth Social, the app developed by his Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) startup, which he said had better user engagement than Twitter and was doing "phenomenally well".

Reference: https://www.reuters.com/technology/...ow-majority-want-trump-reinstated-2022-11-20/.

 

[Technics 1210]

Elon Musk reinstates Jordan Peterson's Twitter account after he was previously banned

https://www.unilad.com/news/elon-mu...witter-account-20221118?source=facebookstatic

 

[sweep_shot]

Elon Musk reinstates Jordan Peterson's Twitter account after he was previously banned

https://www.unilad.com/news/elon-mu...witter-account-20221118?source=facebookstatic

Never knew Peterson was banned too!

Jordan Peterson is a pretty sensible speaker. He often takes on radical left.

Good on Musk to unban some of these accounts.

 

[SalimBhai]

Never knew Peterson was banned too!

Jordan Peterson is a pretty sensible speaker. He often takes on radical left.

Good on Musk to unban some of these accounts.

He also has some negative views on Islam

 

[sweep_shot]

He also has some negatives views on Islam

He is neither pro-Islam nor anti-Islam. Check his interview with Muhammad Hijab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqS1ov4lSI0&ab_channel=JordanBPeterson.

What I like about him is he takes on radical left. He is someone who is normal in today's abnormal society.

Do not deflect this thread further. Thread is about Trump.

 

[captain.hansolo]

Obviously I voted against. This is not a freedom of speech issue for me, because Trump wilfully and repeatedly misuses that freedom in order to spread falsehood.

It’s a shutting down a liar issue for me.

he may also have handed biden a second term - all the other candidates who had all the populist appeal of trump and none of the smear of his scandals: desantis, niki haley to name two, would survive when trump sucks the oxygen out of the room with his incessant tweeting. and then come general election he has just the dislikability to not get elected.

just a thought...

 

[SalimBhai]

You are being too kind ti him

 

[Robert]

He is neither pro-Islam nor anti-Islam. Check his interview with Muhammad Hijab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqS1ov4lSI0&ab_channel=JordanBPeterson.

What I like about him is he takes on radical left. He is someone who is normal in today's abnormal society.

Do not deflect this thread further. Thread is about Trump.

Actually, it's about his relationship with Twitter.

 

[MenInG]

Elon Musk says Twitter will provide a "general amnesty" to some suspended accounts from next week.

This came after he started a poll on Wednesday asking Twitter users whether accounts that had "not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam" should be let back on the social media platform.

Several accounts, such as that of former US President Donald Trump, have already been reinstated by Mr Musk.

The world's richest man bought Twitter for $44bn (£36.3bn) last month.

More than 3.1m Twitter users responded to Mr Musk's poll, with 72.4% of them voting "Yes".

"The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week," Mr Musk, who has 118.7m followers on the platform, later tweeted.

He also used a Latin phrase which translates to "the voice of the people is the voice of God".

Mr Musk did not give details on how the amnesty process would be carried out.

On Saturday, he reinstated the account of Donald Trump, after running a poll in which users narrowly backed the move.

But the former US president may not return to the platform, as he said "I don't see any reason for it".

He has announced plans to run again for the US presidency in 2024.

His Twitter account was suspended in 2021 on grounds that it risked inciting violence, after Trump supporters had stormed the US Capitol.

Mr Musk has also reactivated the Twitter accounts of rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) and influencer Andrew Tate.

However, the multi-billionaire said conspiracy theorist Alex Jones would not be allowed to return to Twitter.

Infowars host Jones has been forced to pay $1.44bn in damages after falsely and repeatedly claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in the US, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, was a hoax.

Mr Musk wrote that his own child had died, and that he "had no mercy" for anyone who "would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame".

Previously he said no decision about banned accounts would be made until a moderation board had been appointed.

Mr Musk completed his $44bn purchase of Twitter on 28 October after months of wrangling.

He has since laid off half of the firm's 7,500-strong workforce, and hundreds more staff are believed to have left, following an email saying that long hours and "hardcore" work would be required of those who remained.

BBC

 

[daytrader]

Elon Musk taking legal action over Twitter account that tracks his private jet

Elon Musk says he is taking legal action against the holder of a Twitter account that tracks his private jet, arguing it put his son at risk.

The @ElonJet account, which has more than half a million followers, was suspended on Wednesday.

Its owner Jack Sweeney, 20, used publicly available flight-tracking information to tweet every time Mr Musk's jet took off and landed.

Mr Musk says legal action is now being taken against Mr Sweeney and others.

"Last night, car carrying [his son] lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving and climbed onto hood," he tweeted.

He added that any account revealing people's real-time locations will be suspended "as it is a physical safety violation".

Mr Sweeney denied the incident was related to his account when asked by the BBC.

It comes after he confirmed on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday that the profile had been suspended.

That evening, Mr Sweeney's account appeared to have been reactivated. He tweeted: "Yes I am back!" Minutes later it was listed again as suspended. His personal account, @JxckSweeney, has also been frozen.

Mr Sweeney, a college student in the state of Florida, shared a screenshot with CNN of a message from Twitter saying the social media company had conducted a "careful review" and had decided to permanently ban the account for violating Twitter's rules.

The student is in charge of dozens of other accounts that track the private flights of wealthy Americans, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg.

Many of those accounts - including one tracking aircraft associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and another monitoring celebrity jets - appeared to be suspended on Twitter as well on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Musk had long taken issue with the @ElonJet account, and once reportedly offered Mr Sweeney $5,000 to delete it.

Mr Sweeney told US media outlets that Mr Musk ultimately told him it did not feel right to pay to have the account shut down.

And a month ago, Mr Musk pledged to keep it running even though it was a "direct personal safety risk".

But Mr Musk tweeted on Wednesday evening: "Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info."

Twitter's Help Center has tweeted an updated media policy that begins: "You may not publish or post other people's private information without their express authorization and permission."

Since taking the helm at Twitter, Mr Musk has made a host of changes to its moderation practices.

He has restored a handful of previously banned accounts, including former President Donald Trump's profile, which was banned following the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol.

The Tesla CEO has also slashed the social media company's staff and has reportedly stopped paying rent for some of Twitter's offices, including the company's San Francisco headquarters, according to the New York Times.

Investors have questioned whether his recent takeover of Twitter has diverted his attention from his electric car business.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, he sold another 22 million shares, worth $3.58bn (£2.9bn), in the company.

It brings the total of Tesla stocks sold by Mr Musk over the past year to almost $40bn.

BBC

 

[daytrader]

Elon Musk asks Twitter users if he should step down as boss of social media site
The mercurial billionaire asks Twitter users to decide his future but adds: "Be careful what you wish, as you might get it".

Elon Musk is polling Twitter users to ask if he should step down as head of the social media platform.

Mr Musk, one of the world's richest people, bought Twitter for $44bn in late October, but his short tenure has been turbulent.

The owner of Tesla and SpaceX set his poll in motion just after 11pm UK time, writing: "Should I step down as head of Twitter?

"I will abide by the results of this poll."

Roughly 20 minutes later, with the 'yes' votes edging ahead, he added: "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it."

Just before 5.30am UK time, 11.8 million users had voted, and 56.3% had said Mr Musk should step down.

He responded to a number of comments from users, telling one: "The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive."

He added: "No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor."

Another user volunteered for the job and Mr Musk replied: "You must like pain a lot.

"One catch: you have to invest your life savings in Twitter and it has been in the fast lane to bankruptcy since May.

"Still want the job?"

Earlier on Sunday, he had declared war on Twitter's social media rivals by banned the promotion of their accounts from his platform.

This means that users could have their accounts suspended, locked or deleted if they post links to their profiles on other social media sites, including Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, as well as Mastodon and Donald Trump's Truth Social.

Last week he reinstated the Twitter accounts of several journalists that had been suspended for a day over his concern about the publication of public data concerning his plane.

The billionaire fired thousands of workers when he took over, prompting concern about the policing of abuse and disinformation on the site.

Last week the site dismissed its Trust and Safety Council, a group made up of charities and campaigners who advised site bosses on their moderation policies.

Three members of the council who quit had complained that Mr Musk was creating a "two tier" Twitter, where paid subscribers would get more benefits than free users.

They warned this would "take away the credibility of the system and the beauty of Twitter, the platform where anyone could be heard".

Read more:
Analysis: Trying to work out Elon Musk's grand Twitter strategy is pointless - he doesn't have one
Elon Musk warned he faces EU sanctions after booting journalists off Twitter
Donald Trump's Twitter account is back after poll votes to lift his ban

When he took charge, Mr Musk promised to improve Twitter, ridding it of fake accounts and improving free speech.

But it has lost many of its major advertisers, as concern grows about its direction - and about its ability to pay interest on the $13bn debt Mr Musk took on to buy it.

On Saturday Reuters news agency revealed that Mr Musk's team had asked investors for more funding, just days after selling another $3.6bn of Tesla shares - meaning he has sold nearly $40bn of shares in his electric vehicle company this year.

SKY News

 

[daytrader]

Elon Musk names Linda Yaccarino new Twitter CEO

Elon Musk has named a new chief executive of Twitter, just over six months after his controversial takeover of the social media company.

The billionaire said Linda Yaccarino, the former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, would oversee business operations at the site, which has been struggling to make money.

He said she would start in six weeks.

Mr Musk will remain involved as executive chairman and chief technology officer.

"Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app," he wrote on Twitter, confirming the decision a day after he had stoked speculation by writing that he had found a new boss without revealing their identity.

Mr Musk - who bought the social media platform last year for $44bn - had been under pressure to find someone else to lead the company and refocus his attention on his other businesses, which include electric carmaker Tesla and rocket firm SpaceX.

With fewer than 10% of Fortune 500 tech companies headed by women, Ms Yaccarino will become that rare example of a woman at the top of a major tech firm, after rising steadily through the ranks of some of America's biggest media companies.

Who is Linda Yaccarino?
Ms Yaccarino was raised in an Italian-American family, with a father who was a police officer and a mother who never went to college.

After graduating from Penn State, she worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years before joining NBCUniversal, where she oversaw roughly 2,000 people, and was involved with the launch of its streaming service.

Her work has been marked by close collaborations with big brands, finding opportunities for product placement and convincing them to advertise alongside television shows - even ones with a reputation for edgy content, such as Sex and the City when it first launched.

She has also built relationships in new media with the likes of Apple News, Snapchat and YouTube.

A 2005 profile in an industry publication portrayed her as a busy, married mother-of-two children, then aged 13 and 9.

"I have absolutely no hobbies," she said at the time.

...
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65574826

 

[The Bald Eagle]

A return of favor?
====
Former United States President Donald Trump has pledged to create a “government efficiency” commission headed by entrepreneur Elon Musk if he is victorious in seeking re-election this November

Trump made the pledge as he laid out his economic vision in a campaign speech at the New York Economic Club on Thursday.

Promises of economic prosperity have been a backbone of Trump’s re-election bid in 2024, and he used Thursday’s speech to showcase his plans for a “national economic renaissance”.

They include oft-repeated proposals to slash regulations on energy production, cut government spending and lower corporate taxes for US companies.

Less familiar were his plans to embrace cryptocurrency and create the Musk-led commission, which he said would eliminate “fraud and improper payments” within six months of being formed.

“I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms,” Trump said.

Source: Al Jazeera