Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter ban on Donald Trump
- Self-proclaimed ‘free speech absolutist’ Elon Musk has clinched a US$44 billion deal to acquire Twitter
- Donald Trump has stated that he would not come back to Twitter if permitted, opting to stick with his own social network
Billionaire Elon Musk said on Tuesday he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former US president Donald Trump when he buys the social media platform, the clearest signal yet of Musk’s intention to cut moderation of the site.
Musk, the world’s richest person and chief executive of electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc, has signed a US$44 billion deal to buy Twitter. He has called himself a “free speech absolutist”, but given few specific details of his plans.
Musk is expected to become Twitter’s temporary CEO after closing the deal, Reuters previously reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The question of reinstating Trump has been seen as a litmus test of how far Musk will go in making changes, even though Trump himself has said he would not return.
Twitter, like other US-based social media platforms, has banned various individuals for violating its policies on misinformation and glorification of violence.
Musk, speaking to a Financial Times conference, added that he and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey believe permanent bans should be “extremely rare” and reserved for accounts that operate bots or spread spam.