War Twitter Suspends Accounts of Half a Dozen Journalists - Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences, sweaty

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SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter suspended the accounts of roughly half a dozen prominent journalists on Thursday, the latest change by the social media service under its new owner, Elon Musk.

The accounts suspended included Ryan Mac of The New York Times; Drew Harwell of The Washington Post; Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist; Donie O’Sullivan of CNN; Matt Binder of Mashable; Tony Webster, an independent journalist; Micah Lee of The Intercept; and the political journalist Keith Olbermann. It was unclear what the suspensions had in common; each user’s Twitter page included a message that said it suspended accounts that “violate the Twitter rules.”

The moves came a day after Twitter suspended more than 25 accounts that tracked the planes of government agencies, billionaires and high-profile individuals, including that of Mr. Musk. Many of the accounts were operated by Jack Sweeney, a 20-year-old college student and flight tracking enthusiast who had used Twitter to post updates about the location of Mr. Musk’s private plane using publicly available information.

Last month, Mr. Musk had said he would allow the account that tracked his private plane to remain on Twitter, though he said it amounted to a security threat. “My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk,” he said in a tweet at the time.

But he changed his mind this week, after he claimed a car in which one of his sons was traveling was accosted by a “crazy stalker.” On Wednesday, Mr. Musk tweeted that any account that posted “real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info.”

Some of the journalists whose accounts were suspended had written about the accounts that tracked the private planes or had tweeted about those accounts. Some have also written articles that have been critical of Mr. Musk and his ownership of Twitter. Many of them had tens of thousands of followers on the platform.

Mr. Musk did not respond to a request for comment and Twitter did not respond to an email for comment. In a tweet, Mr. Musk said Twitter’s rules on “doxxing” — which refers to the sharing of someone’s personal documents, including information such as their address — “apply to ‘journalists’ as well as everyone else.” He did not elaborate.

“Tonight’s suspension of the Twitter accounts of a number of prominent journalists, including The New York Times’s Ryan Mac, is questionable and unfortunate,” said Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesman for The Times. “Neither The Times nor Ryan have received any explanation about why this occurred. We hope that all of the journalists’ accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this action.”

A representative for The Post did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kristine Coratti Kelly, a CNN spokeswoman, said the suspensions were “concerning but not surprising” and that “Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses” it. In an appearance on CNN after his account was suspended, Mr. O’Sullivan said Twitter’s actions could intimidate journalists who cover companies owned by Mr. Musk.

“I was disappointed to see that I was suspended from Twitter without explanation,” Mr. Webster, whose account was suspended, said in an emailed comment. He added that he had tweeted about the Twitter account that tracked Mr. Musk’s private plane before his suspension.

Mr. Binder, the Mashable journalist, said that he had been critical of Mr. Musk but had not broken any of Twitter’s listed policies.

After his suspension from Twitter, Mr. Sweeney turned to Mastodon, an alternative social network. After Mastodon used Twitter to promote Mr. Sweeney’s new account on Thursday, Twitter suspended Mastodon’s account. As some journalists shared the news of Mastodon’s suspension, their own accounts were suspended.

Mr. Musk, who purchased Twitter in October for $44 billion, had said that his takeover would expand free speech on the platform and allow more people to participate in the public conversation. In recent weeks, he allowed some banned users to return to the platform, including former President Donald J. Trump, who was barred from his account after the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Musk said in October that he would form a council to advise him on policy matters before making changes to the company’s content moderation policies. The council has not materialized. This week, Mr. Musk disbanded a trust and safety advisory group that had guided Twitter on thorny issues like harassment and child exploitation.

“I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Mr. Musk tweeted in April, shortly after announcing his intent to buy the company.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/technology/twitter-suspends-journalist-accounts-elon-musk.html (Archive)
 
tbh the funniest aspect of him buying Twitter is that his anti-fans keep showing their ass because of how incapable they are of differentiating between his fanboys and people who think checkmarks are incredibly cringe.
Shoutout to @Oxyjen for being the local version of exactly that.

I’m just enjoying the cognitive dissonance.

Many would champion the farms as the last place on the internet that allows free speech. Doxing is permitted, even of random private individuals who are not public figures or in the limelight. Kiwi Farms is heavily criticised and under continual threat of being driven from the internet by the CEOs of huge unaccountable internet companies. They use the example of doxing and imagined threats to safety as one of the excuses to do this.

Now, when a huge internet company is doing exactly the same thing; making up arbitrary rules to kick people off that its capricious owner doesn’t like, the same people are defending his every authoritarian move,, because they don’t like the people it’s happening to.

My enemy’s enemy is not my friend, people. If you like freedom of speech you can’t be cheering on a very powerful internet baron who is using his resources to demonise and suppress actual journalists. Musk is considerably worse and more repressive, with actual sinister intentions, than the previous bunch of incompetent assholes who ran the platform, he’s just your kind of tyrant?

Edit: when musk got all paranoid a few weeks ago that Apple was about to ban Twitter from the App Store, he started a big campaign about that. People here were rightly outraged on his behalf, because how dare they. Null suggested I be nailed to a cross for taking the piss about this (he didn’t ban me though).
 
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Elon Musk is the CEO of Autism.



They make it seem like a momentous event that should cause a panic. But when you stop to think about it... nah.
Yeah, he has autism, from what I can gather, (and I may be wrong) this doesn't stem from the planes, this is fallout from that antifa goon and his young son.

Ok, CEO of Autism, nothing wrong with that, but outstanding that he will protect his kids.

They were posting his locations and Keith O. was trying to get others to do the same, or worse, go to locations.
 
My enemy’s enemy is not my friend, people. If you like freedom of speech you can’t be cheering on a very powerful internet baron who is using his resources to demonise and suppress actual journalists. Musk is considerably worse and more repressive, with actual sinister intentions, than the previous bunch of incompetent assholes who ran the platform, he’s just your kind of tyrant?
yes.

another poster put it well. " my violence is speech, but your speech is violence" and alot of what rubs people here the wrong way isnt that twitter is some powerful opinion shaping tool but that it doesnt inforce the rules evenly you do catch a ban for having the wrong opinion.

Twitter is terminally dead elon bought it and cant keep it running he ll ether have to sell at a loss or just burn it down for the insurance money.
 
I don't see what this accomplishes. It's a week long ban that doesn't do anything besides give these people ammo to claim they are oppressed by Musk. They will be back and they will be signal-boosted by other retards. Here's a 100,000 karma thread on Reddit demonstrating exactly that.
I like this weeklong suspension for a couple of reasons. First, the whiners are going to whine no matter what, so this makes them look all the more ridiculous that the whining is over a temporary timeout, Musk more or less telling the violators to touch grass . Second, I generally dislike the idea of permabans, especially on a platform that claims to be THE public square. It sometimes feels like actual crimes are punished less harshly.
 
Elon stop being an idiot & know that this is because of Twitter leaks.

Yes, a company can do whatever it likes and stop doubting.

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I’m just enjoying the cognitive dissonance.

Many would champion the farms as the last place on the internet that allows free speech. Doxing is permitted, even of random private individuals who are not public figures or in the limelight. Kiwi Farms is heavily criticised and under continual threat of being driven from the internet by the CEOs of huge unaccountable internet companies. They use the example of doxing and imagined threats to safety as one of the excuses to do this.

Now, when a huge internet company is doing exactly the same thing; making up arbitrary rules to kick people off that its capricious owner doesn’t like, the same people are defending his every authoritarian move,, because they don’t like the people it’s happening to.

My enemy’s enemy is not my friend, people. If you like freedom of speech you can’t be cheering on a very powerful internet baron who is using his resources to demonise and suppress actual journalists. Musk is considerably worse and more repressive, with actual sinister intentions, than the previous bunch of incompetent assholes who ran the platform, he’s just your kind of tyrant? -@Oxyjen
Just say he angered SJW & antifa now they are doing OPS & Gang stalking Elon until he gives up twitter & leaking twitter COMS.
 
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I’m just enjoying the cognitive dissonance.

Many would champion the farms as the last place on the internet that allows free speech. Doxing is permitted, even of random private individuals who are not public figures or in the limelight. Kiwi Farms is heavily criticised and under continual threat of being driven from the internet by the CEOs of huge unaccountable internet companies. They use the example of doxing and imagined threats to safety as one of the excuses to do this.

Now, when a huge internet company is doing exactly the same thing; making up arbitrary rules to kick people off that its capricious owner doesn’t like, the same people are defending his every authoritarian move,, because they don’t like the people it’s happening to.

My enemy’s enemy is not my friend, people. If you like freedom of speech you can’t be cheering on a very powerful internet baron who is using his resources to demonise and suppress actual journalists. Musk is considerably worse and more repressive, with actual sinister intentions, than the previous bunch of incompetent assholes who ran the platform, he’s just your kind of tyrant?
Here's the deal. This is @Null's house, he sets the rules, we follow them, and he bans when he sees fit. Twitter is now Elon's house, and that applies there now.
 
The funny thing is ALL of those journalist accounts started posting the links to Musk's planes AFTER he said that you'd be suspended from doing it.

They literally thought they were above the rules.

They flaunted what he said not to do.

And got banned.

Journoscum get the rope.
 
I like this weeklong suspension for a couple of reasons. First, the whiners are going to whine no matter what, so this makes them look all the more ridiculous that the whining is over a temporary timeout, Musk more or less telling the violators to touch grass . Second, I generally dislike the idea of permabans, especially on a platform that claims to be THE public square. It sometimes feels like actual crimes are punished less harshly.

Agreed, somehow in recent years bans have become either nonexistent or permanent with no inbetween. Permabans should be reserved for rapists, paedos etc. people using the platform to commit actual crimes.

I’m a bleeding heart but lefties need to see they caused this if they want a say in moving forward. By handing out life bans for everything from people’s political opinions to bullying to cussing to pretty much anything they arbitrarily decide they find distasteful? They opened a window for people to argue permanent bans aren’t fair to the genuine monsters (ie MAPS)

People have become so deeply frustrated with being unable to express their opinion at all or their kids losing their social media for being edgy brats occasionally that it has naturally led to the vast majority throwing up their hands and wanting most bannable offences nullified. Blind bloody Freddy could see this was inevitable, whenever things swing too far one way they always swing too far in the other. Bringing back temporary bans for normal fuckups is absolutely the sane way to go. Even if they still punish us for thought crime, it’s still a huge step in the right direction and a big win for those of us who believe in free speech for all people.
 
Olbermann was practically rallying the troops to kill Elon's family. If Elon lets that guy back in he's crazy. I don't really think doxing is a free speech issue, but a lot do.
Olbermann has been completely unhinged for years. Being suspended from Twitter is the least that should happen to him. If there were any justice he'd be sitting in a padded cell for the rest of his life.
 
Agreed, somehow in recent years bans have become either nonexistent or permanent with no inbetween. Permabans should be reserved for rapists, paedos etc. people using the platform to commit actual crimes.

I’m a bleeding heart but lefties need to see they caused this if they want a say in moving forward. By handing out life bans for everything from people’s political opinions to bullying to cussing to pretty much anything they arbitrarily decide they find distasteful? They opened a window for people to argue permanent bans aren’t fair to the genuine monsters (ie MAPS)

People have become so deeply frustrated with being unable to express their opinion at all or their kids losing their social media for being edgy brats occasionally that it has naturally led to the vast majority throwing up their hands and wanting most bannable offences nullified. Blind bloody Freddy could see this was inevitable, whenever things swing too far one way they always swing too far in the other. Bringing back temporary bans for normal fuckups is absolutely the sane way to go. Even if they still punish us for thought crime, it’s still a huge step in the right direction and a big win for those of us who believe in free speech for all people.
you ever post on somethingawful?
 
What's there to elaborate???

- account posts real-time location
- Twitter says that's doxing
- Twitter says doxing bad
- Twitter suspends accounts that dox no matter if a John Doe doxes or some journo bc the rules apply to all users

The press are scum but also retarded.
Plane registrations are matters of public record. Any civilian flight would be breaking all kinds of laws by disabling their ADS-B transponder in controlled airspace. Most policies dictate they are to be left on except for troubleshooting. Air Traffic Control has a vast deployment of ground stations. If you've got a few hours and $100 you can set up your own listening station with an SDR. I don't really "get" plane/ship-spotting autism. That said I know that without it even with public data, making sense of it or actually finding cool shit is very dependent on them. Even "unsecured" air fields would not pose a serious risk to their size. You'd get v&/tackled before getting near the plane at any major airport.

Considering recent events I can certainly understand Elon's reaction even if I don't agree with it. Unless this kid was being exceptional above/beyond the plane spotting 'tism I think it's the wrong call. Real dox and people showing up somewhere is a valid concern, a proven one for him. Roping the plane kid into it just makes it look like rage and revenge instead of countermeasures.
 
Aw, poor libshit propagandists. :( They brought this on themselves, especially that demented fuckstick Olbermann. I doubt the suspensions will be permanent but it's nice to see these assholes get a taste of their own medicine.
 
Plane registrations are matters of public record. Any civilian flight would be breaking all kinds of laws by disabling their ADS-B transponder in controlled airspace. Most policies dictate they are to be left on except for troubleshooting. Air Traffic Control has a vast deployment of ground stations. If you've got a few hours and $100 you can set up your own listening station with an SDR. I don't really "get" plane/ship-spotting autism. That said I know that without it even with public data, making sense of it or actually finding cool shit is very dependent on them. Even "unsecured" air fields would not pose a serious risk to their size. You'd get v&/tackled before getting near the plane at any major airport.

Considering recent events I can certainly understand Elon's reaction even if I don't agree with it. Unless this kid was being exceptional above/beyond the plane spotting 'tism I think it's the wrong call. Real dox and people showing up somewhere is a valid concern, a proven one for him. Roping the plane kid into it just makes it look like rage and revenge instead of countermeasures.
Plane guy is back, pretty sure it was the same day. Elon just requested that he wait 12-24 hours on some posts. All of plane guys other accts were bots, don't think they will be restored.
 
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