X/Twitter's handling of extremism is under fire: A recent investigation published by Ireland's Business Post shows that the platform, under Elon Musk's leadership, has dramatically relaxed its content moderation policies. This raises questions about the balance between freedom of expression and responsible moderation.
Insight into internal documents
According to internal documents seen by the Irish newspaper, there is a significant shift in the way X/Twitter handles sensitive content. Posts that would previously have been deleted due to violations of the hate speech guidelines will now remain standing.
These include, among other things, statements that deny the Holocaust, racist and homophobic insults, and content that denies the humanity of others. Such posts should no longer be deleted, just made less visible. An example that underlines the explosiveness of this decision is an article that refers to Auschwitz in an anti-Semitic manner.
Impact on user experience on X/Twitter
These new guidelines have a direct impact on the user experience. Posts that threaten violence, incite hatred or contain unwanted sexual content will now be punished less severely. This also applies to cases of “deadnaming”, i.e. the use of a false name for transgender and non-binary people.
The newspaper claims that these changes will result in less action against hateful and offensive content.
The role of Elon Musk and the reactions
At the center of this development is Elon Musk, who often presents himself as a champion of freedom of expression. Critics accuse him of turning the platform into a repository for hate speech and extremism. Musk, on the other hand, emphasizes that the new policy is an expression of his vision of freedom of expression. The changes come amid previous incidents in which advertisements from major companies appeared alongside posts glorifying Nazism.
Conclusion: balancing act between freedom and responsibility
The X/Twitter revelations represent a significant shift in the world of social media. They raise fundamental questions about the limits of freedom of expression and the responsibility of platforms whose content reaches millions of people. While some welcome the easing as a step towards real freedom of expression, others see it as a dangerous gateway for hate speech and disinformation.
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Source: Business Post , heise.de
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