Musk’s Twitter move sparks concerns

Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, has described himself as a “free speech absolutist” and has made it clear he supports more unbridled expression on Twitter.

Now some people in the United States are raising concerns about hate speech after Musk waded through legal and “poison pill” threats and employee angst to clinch a $44 billion deal on April 25 to buy Twitter — perhaps the world’s most influential social media platform — and take it private.

Musk, 50, has been critical of Twitter’s policies of moderating content and has said the social media giant should become a genuine forum for free speech.

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement.

Some observers are concerned the platform could see an increase in disinformation and harassment.

Barrett Newkirk, a former journalist, said he cut back on his Twitter use because he does not find it that productive. He said the company probably should provide more oversight, than it has been, about banning accounts and blocking or removing hateful or offensive tweets.

“It’s like they should be moving more in that direction,” Newkirk said.