On his first full day as the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk says the company will form a “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.”
He says the company will not make major decisions on content or reinstating suspended accounts until the council convenes.
The announcement comes after there was confusion over whether Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, regained access to his account. Twitter locked the rapper’s account earlier this month after an antisemitic post that threated Jewish people.
NPR has reached out to Twitter for comment.
Musk bought the company Thursday night. After making Twitter a private company, Musk also fired the CEO, chief financial officer and the company’s top lawyer — signaling a new era for the social media site.
“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner,” Musk wrote.
He added that Twitter would not become a “free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences.”
But Musk also said he wanted the platform to offer a “desired experience” based on users’ preferences, similar to the choices offered in movies and video games.
Many have questioned whether Musk’s vision will include lifting the account ban of former President Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended after the capitol insurrection.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump wrote, “I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs.”
Vijaya Gadde, the top Twitter lawyer fired by Musk, played a key role in deciding to ban Trump from the platform.
