When Elon Musk acquires Twitter, he plans to lift the social media platform's ban on former US President Donald Trump, the strongest indication yet of Musk's aim to reduce moderation.
Musk, the world's richest man and CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), has agreed to acquire Twitter for $44 billion. He has described himself as a "free speech absolutist," although he has provided little specifics about his objectives.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Musk is anticipated to become Twitter's interim CEO when the sale is completed. continue reading The topic of Trump's reinstatement has been viewed as a litmus test for Musk's willingness to reform.
Musk and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey believe permanent bans should be "very unusual" and reserved for users who operate bots or disseminate spam, according to Musk, who spoke at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference.
Musk claimed that the decision to ban Trump boosted his popularity among conservatives, and he branded the ban "morally incorrect and flat-out foolish."
Trump's account, which had more than 88 million followers, was suspended days before his tenure ended, putting an end to years of dispute about how social media firms should handle the accounts of strong world leaders.
Shortly after the melee at the US Capitol on January 6, Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter. "The possibility of future harm," Twitter said.
'IT SHOULD BE EVERYWHERE'
Conservatives have welcomed Trump's return, claiming that Twitter, located in San Francisco, is biased against right-wing ideas.
When questioned about Musk's remarks, Republican Senator Rick Scott told reporters, "He (Trump) ought to be everywhere he can."
"In our country, we should have free expression. We don't need social media firms that limit people's capacity to spread their message "Scott added.
Democrats have warned that Trump's reinstatement might pose a threat to democracy, however, others believe that constantly tweeting Trump will enrage their base and boost turnout in November's legislative elections.
Even if Musk buys Twitter, Trump has previously stated that he will not return to the network.
He said he would use his own social media app called Truth Social, a Twitter-like platform where users publish "truths" instead of tweets, which was released on the Apple app store in late February.
Trump has stepped up his messaging on the new platform after a poor start, publishing to his 2.7 million followers roughly 50 times in the previous week.
Trump Media & Technology Group, managed by Devin Nunes, a former Republican congressman, owns the site. A Trump spokeswoman did not respond immediately.
Musk claimed during the conference that in the "best-case scenario," the agreement to buy Twitter could be completed in two to three months. He did note, though, that Twitter had not yet filed.