Elon Musk says Twitter will kind a content material moderation ‘council’ earlier than deciding on Trump • TechCrunch

Elon Musk has solely been answerable for Twitter for a short while, however he’s already making large strikes. Musk fired quite a few key executives on day one together with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, however in a brand new tweet he claims he’ll be transferring extra slowly relating to making content material moderation selections.

Musk hasn’t mentioned a lot since taking on at Twitter, however he’ll apparently kind some type of coverage advisory physique to supervise content material moderation selections. Musk mentioned the group will replicate “various viewpoints” although we’ll actually have to attend and see on that one.

Importantly, Musk says he gained’t be making any main selections or account reinstatements— i.e. restoring former President Donald Trump — earlier than the council is put in place. As a result of it’s Musk which may occur inside hours or it may not occur in any respect, it’s arduous to say.

On Thursday, Musk additionally let go of Vijaya Gadde, a well-respected prime coverage govt on the firm who helped it navigate complicated authorized and moderation points for greater than 11 years. Eliminating Gadde was a sign {that a} new period with completely different choice making is starting, for higher or worse.

The tweet is probably going extra balm for skittish advertisers cautious of Musk instantly turning the platform into an anything-goes mess of harassment, hate and misinformation. Whereas Twitter arguably already meets that description with present ranges of moderation in place, advertisers are waiting for any main shifts within the type of content material allowed on the platform and the way it may adversely have an effect on their manufacturers.

Musk may suppose that is an unique concept, however Twitter already consults a belief and security council to advise its product and coverage selections. The council — it’s already known as a council — consisted initially of 40 organizations and consultants that suggested it in difficult coverage areas. That group served in additional of an advisory capability, and in contrast to with Meta’s Oversight Board, it wasn’t designed to create binding selections.

First introduced in 2016, Twitter expanded the entity in 2020 to kind teams devoted to particular troublesome subjects, together with security and on-line harassment, digital rights, little one sexual exploitation and suicide prevention. “Quite a lot of what we presently do, comparable to ongoing conferences with NGOs, activists and different organizations is all the time a part of our course of, however we haven’t executed sufficient to share that externally,” Twitter wrote on the time.

It’s doable Musk has one thing extra just like the Oversight Board in thoughts relating to content material moderation choice making, however all the pieces from the individuals who wind up serving on a hypothetical council to the character of the group’s affect is more likely to be controversial.