Will Twitter Be Able to Resist Authoritarian Government Control Under Elon Musk?
A key test for Elon Musk in managing Twitter will be how the platform deals with state-affiliated media in nations where Musk himself has a vested interest.
China, for example, which has been found to be running influence operations via tweet in the past, is a critical partner for Musk’s other business, Tesla, as it’s where many Tesla components are manufactured, while Musk is also looking to expand Tesla sales into India, and in both cases, the company will need to work with the government in each region to secure critical partnerships.
Which could prove problematic when it comes to moderation, and this week, there have been some concerning signs in how Twitter 2.0 may or may not be looking to manage such.
First off, as reported by Semafor, Twitter has halted its efforts to limit the reach of Chinese and Russian state-controlled media outlets, by removing labels on state-affiliated media content, designed to improve transparency.