After new disclosure of “Twitter Files”, Musk says he will launch feature that will signal bans

Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, said on Thursday that he plans to introduce an option to allow users to view whether the company has limited the number of other users who can view their posts.

In doing so, Musk is effectively taking advantage of an issue that has been hotly debated among some conservatives, who claim that the social network has suppressed or practiced “shadowbanning” (a term that refers to when a platform blocks all or part of a user or content without visible signage for the user).

“Twitter is working on a software update that will show the real status of your account, so you’ll clearly know if you’ve been banned, why and how to appeal,” wrote the entrepreneur. He did not provide additional details or a timeline.

The announcement comes amid the re-disclosure of internal Twitter documents also on Thursday, which again highlighted the platform’s practice of limiting the reach of certain potentially harmful content – something common in the industry and which Musk himself is apparently so keen on endorsed and criticized.

Last month, Musk said Twitter’s “new” policy is “free speech, not freedom of reach,” echoing an approach that is something of an industry standard. “Negative/hateful Tweets will be suppressed and demonetized, so no ads or other revenue for Twitter,” he pointed out.

With that announcement, Musk, who pointed out that he now votes for Republicans, provoked protests from some conservatives, who accused him of continuing a practice they opposed.

The clash reflects an underlying tension on Twitter under Musk, as the billionaire has simultaneously pledged a more maximalist approach to “free speech”, a move applauded by some on the right, while also trying to reassure advertisers and users that there will still be more. Content moderation guardrails.

But with his tweet on Thursday and the release of the latest Twitter archives, he seemed to once again be trying to court some of the conservative circles.

Twitter is working on a software update that will show your true account status, so you know clearly if you’ve been shadowbanned, the reason why and how to appeal

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2022

Twitter Files part 2

The second set of so-called “Twitter Files”, shared by journalist Bari Weiss on Twitter itself, focused on how the company has restricted the reach of certain accounts, tweets or topics it considers potentially harmful, including limiting their ability to appear in search sections or platform trends.

Weiss suggested that such actions were taken “all without the users’ knowledge”. However, Twitter has long been transparent about the fact that it may limit certain content that violates its policies and, in some cases, may apply “strikes” that correspond to suspensions of accounts that violate its rules.

In the case of strikes, users receive a notification that their account has been temporarily suspended.

Weiss’s tweets follow the first release of “Twitter Files” earlier this month by journalist Matt Taibbi. He shared internal company emails about the company’s decision to temporarily suppress a 2020 New York Post story about Hunter Biden and his laptop, which largely corroborated what was already known about the incident.

In both cases, internal documents appear to have been provided directly to journalists by Musk’s team. The businessman shared Weiss’ post in a tweet and added: “The Twitter archives, part duex!!”, with two popcorn emojis.

Controversy over content reach

The question of how and why Twitter – like other major platforms – limits the reach of certain content has been a hot topic in the US government and among some prominent users of the networks, especially conservatives.

Twitter has repeatedly stated that it does not moderate content based on its political leaning, but rather enforces its policies equally in an effort to keep users safe.

In 2018, the founder and then CEO of the social network, Jack Dorsey, told CNN in an interview that the company “does not analyze the content from a political or ideological point of view. We look at behavior.”

Weiss released several examples of right-wing figures who had moderation actions taken on their accounts, but it’s unclear whether such actions were similarly taken against left-wing or other accounts.

The release of internal documents from Twitter’s previous management comes as Musk tries to reshape the platform in his image. The billionaire has previously said he wants to end permanent user bans, and the social network has recently begun restoring accounts for thousands of users, including some controversial figures.

But Musk also noted that he doesn’t want the company to “become free hell” and plans to moderate content in a way that appears broadly consistent with Twitter’s past policies.

In a post last week, Twitter said it had not changed its policies, but that its approach and enforcement would rely heavily on suppressing violating tweets, something the company already did, according to the company’s previous statements and tweets. from Weiss on Friday.

“Freedom of speech, not freedom of scope,” the blog post stated.