Twitter owner Elon Musk drew anger and stern warnings from the UN and EU yesterday after suspending the accounts of half a dozen prominent journalists — accusing them of endangering his family.
Since Musk took over the company on October 27, the most recent uproar has been caused by the sudden removal of journalists from CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post from the site.
‘News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying,’ EU commissioner Vera Jourova posted on Twitter, warning the influential platform could face hefty fines through European laws.
‘Elon Musk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon,’ she added.
The spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres called it a ‘dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even worse.’
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The latest controversy began when Musk on Wednesday suspended @elonjet, an account that tracked flights of his private jet.
Musk said the move was necessary after a car in Los Angeles carrying one of his children was followed by “a crazy stalker” and seemed to blame the tracking of his jet for the incident.
Some of the journalists had reported on the affair, including tweets linking to the suspended @elonjet account, which Musk said amounted to ‘assassination coordinates’ against he and his family.
In a chat hosted live on Twitter, Musk provided no evidence for his claim but told some of the suspended reporters that on Twitter ‘everyone’s going to be treated the same… they’re not special because you’re a journalist.’
Pressed further on his allegations, Musk ended the conversation. Twitter Spaces, the feature where the chat took place, was then suspended.
Media organizations criticized the move sharply and opened the door to re-evaluating their relationship with Twitter, which has become an essential tool for journalism over the past decade.
‘The impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising,’ the news organization said in a tweet.
‘Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses the platform.’
In a statement, the New York Times said it also wanted answers from Twitter regarding the ‘questionable’ suspension of journalists.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which defends the freedom of the press around the world, decried a ‘Kakaesque nightmare’ for journalists that depend on Twitter.
Musk’s tenure as boss of Twitter has been ‘a disaster for the right to information’, RSF said.
Twitter has lurched from one controversy to the next since Musk took control after paying $44 billion, mainly by selling shares in Tesla, his successful electric car company.