Could Elon Musk's Twitter become 'a sewer, full of attacks and threats'?
A former head of global news at Twitter says the platform should be "a place of passionate argument" but that it could become a place that "plays to the passions of large groups".
Elon Musk has been warned he must protect Twitter users from harmful content after he struck a $44bn deal to buy the social media giant. The billionaire vowed to relax content restrictions, sparking fears from human rights groups it could lead to a rise in bullying and misinformation.
Vivian Shiller, the former head of global news at Twitter, says that although she supports Elon Musk's notion of free speech, this could mean the platform becomes "a sewer, full of attacks and threats". She says that the laws governing content on Twitter are limited and that the platform could attract harmful content such as hate speech, incitement to violence and content detrimental to public health. She says that Twitter should be "a place of passionate argument" but that, without a clear moderation policy, it could become a place that "plays to the passions of large groups".
"I'm not sure what he means by free speech - it could include a lot of harmful content, calls for violence, terrible things to befall under-represented communities of colour or women."
Photo: A photo illustration, news about Elon Musk's bid to takeover Twitter Credit: Getty Images
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