#ElonMusk to 'unlock doors to #TwitterJail' with amnesty for suspended accounts

Critics say the move will see #FarRight & #WhiteSupremacist accounts such as the American #Nazi Party back on the platform−with one award-winning journalist warning it will put lives at risk and telling Musk "you will have blood on your hands!"

Musk ran a #Twitter poll to vote on reinstatements for accounts that have not "broken the law or engaged in egregious spam".

The yes vote was 72%.
https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-to-unlock-all-the-doors-to-twitter-jail-with-amnesty-for-suspended-accounts-12754933

"Amnesty begins next week."

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595473875847942146

https://nitter.poast.org/elonmusk/status/1595473875847942146

Musk threatens war with Apple

Elon Musk fired off a series of tweets aimed at Apple for allegedly threatening "to withhold Twitter from its App Store" and for pulling most of its ad spend on Twitter.

Musk said the previous week that he would build his own smartphone if Apple pulled Twitter from its app store for violating its rules. But doing so would take enormous resources and time.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #Apple #Advertisements #WalledGardens #ElonMuskSmartphone
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/28/musk-threatens-war-apple-twitter

Twitter staff cuts enabled spam porn deluge that drowned out China protest news

Twitter faces scrutiny for relying too much on automated content removal.

Widespread protests erupted in #China in what amounted to “the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades”. Many protesters attempted to document events live to spread awareness and inspire solidarity across #Twitter.

#AutomatedContentModeration #Bots #ChinaProtests #Porn #Spam
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/china-bots-flood-twitter-with-porn-spam-to-drown-protest-news/

Elon Musk has allowed QAnon accounts and content to flood back onto Twitter, where they’re spreading violent conspiracy theories and dangerous disinformation and promoting QAnon events. Some of the accounts now carry a verified blue check symbol.

#ElonMusk #Twitter #QAnon #TwitterVerified
https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d3a5a/qanon-twitter-returns

Elon Musk Is Turning Twitter Into a Haven for Nazis

Musk has welcomed neo-Nazis back onto the platform, engaged with them on his timeline, and posted multiple tweets that appeal directly to them.

#ElonMusk #Twitter #Nazi #NeoNazi
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zm9q/elon-musk-twitter-nazis-white-supremacy

Twitter is now having trouble paying some employees on time

Twitter staff in the UK received an email just before 1 pm London time on November 25 telling them their pay date would be November 28. Alongside the email, sent from the #EMEA Payroll Team, staff received their usual monthly payslips. However, staff in the #UK and #Germany appear not to have been paid on time.

#Twitter #Employment #LatePaychecks
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/twitter-missed-payroll-for-some-european-staff-this-month/

Twitter stops policing Covid misinformation under CEO Elon Musk and reportedly restores 62,000 suspended accounts

In a recent update to its website, Twitter said that effective Nov. 23, it is no longer enforcing its Covid-19 misleading information policy.

Online safety experts have argued his approach to free speech has led to an increase in hate speech, harassment and misinformation on the platform.

#Twitter #Covid #Misinformation #ElonMusk
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/29/twitter-stops-policing-covid-19-misinformation-under-ceo-elon-musk.html

Musk won’t relaunch Twitter Blue until he finds a way to avoid Apple fees

He also raised the price of blue checks by 1 cent.

#ElonMusk #Twitter #TwitterBlue #TwitterVerified

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/musk-wont-relaunch-twitter-blue-until-he-finds-a-way-to-avoid-apple-fees/

Twitter owner Elon Musk said he went to Apple’s headquarters and met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in tweets.

The meeting marks a significant de-escalation days after Musk went on a tweet storm accusing Apple of threatening to pull the Twitter app from the App Store.

“Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store,” Musk tweeted.

#Twitter #Apple #AppStore #ElonMusk #TimCook
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/30/elon-musk-meets-tim-cook-says-apple-never-considered-removing-twitter-app-.html

President Zelensky of Ukraine rebukes Elon Musk’s peace proposal

Speaking at the DealBook summit, the Ukrainian leader said the billionaire would do well to fully understand the situation before making pronouncements about it.

“If you want to understand what Russia has done here, come to Ukraine and you will see this with your own eyes,” Mr. Zelensky said. “After that, you will tell us how to end this war, who started and when we can end it.”

#Russia #Ukraine #ElonMusk
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/business/dealbook/zelensky-ukraine-elon-musk.html

A European regulator reportedly threatened Elon Musk with a continent-wide ban on Twitter if the company fails to enforce content moderation rules required by the Digital Services Act.

Twitter claims "none of our policies have changed" after abandoning COVID policy.

#Twitter #Covid #Misinformation #ElonMusk #EU
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/twitter-claims-none-of-our-policies-have-changed-after-abandoning-covid-policy/

Twitter's ex-content moderation chief explains resignation:

"One of my limits was if Twitter starts being ruled by dictatorial edict rather than by policy... there's no longer a need for me in my role."

#ElonMusk #Twitter #ContentModeration #DictatorialEdict
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/former-musk-ally-explains-resignation-from-twitter-cites-dictatorial-edict/

Elon Musk’s Big ‘Twitter Files’ Reveal Turns Into Snoozefest
Earlier this week, Elon Musk teased the release, tweeting, "The public deserves to know what really happened …"

What followed after was a series of tweeted snippets detailing largely what the public has already known.

Taibbi and Musk’s "Twitter Files" appeared to add little beyond what former executives have said was a confused and bungled response.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #HunterBiden #RevengePorn
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-twitter-files-1234640842/

Ex-GOP strategist roasts Musk's big Twitter reveal: No 'constitutional right' to post Hunter Biden's genitals

#Twitter #ElonMusk #HunterBiden #RevengePorn
https://www.rawstory.com/elon-musk-twitter-2658826874/

Musk's Twitter disbands its Trust and Safety advisory group

The council members, who provided images of the email from Twitter to The Associated Press, spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation. The email said Twitter was "reevaluating how best to bring external insights" and the council is "not the best structure to do this."

#Twitter #ElonMusk #TrustAndSafety
https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-a9b795e8050de12319b82b5dd7118cd7

Elon Musk email to Twitter employees shows that he threatens to sue Twitter employees who leak to the media. This email has leaked to the media.

Musk email complains of "many detailed leaks of confidential Twitter information."

Musk also asked staff "to sign a pledge indicating they've understood" and gave them a deadline of Saturday Dec 17 at 5 pm, according to a Twitter thread by journalist Zoë Schiffer.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #Leaks #TwitterLeaks #MuskUltimatums
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/12/leaked-email-shows-musk-threatened-to-sue-twitter-employees-who-leak-to-media/

Schiffer's thread:

https://nitter.poast.org/ZoeSchiffer/status/1601582028100894721

#Twitter Inc has been hit with another lawsuit stemming from the recent purging of half its workforce, this one accusing the social media company of disproportionately targeting #female employees for #layoffs.

The proposed class action filed late on Wednesday in San Francisco federal court said that after Twitter was taken over by Elon Musk, the world's richest person, it laid off 57% of its female workers compared to 47% of men.

#ElonMusk #WorkplaceSexDiscrimination
https://www.reuters.com/legal/latest-twitter-lawsuit-says-company-targeted-women-layoffs-2022-12-08/

Musk calls to prosecute Fauci, drawing swift backlash

#ElonMusk #ProsecuteFauci #Fauci
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3771048-musk-calls-to-prosecute-fauci-drawing-swift-backlash/

Twitter relaunched its updated Twitter Blue subscription service Monday after the company’s new owner Elon Musk pulled and delayed the launch in November.

The service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iOS users who purchase it through Apple’s App Store.

#Twitter #TwitterBlue #Apple #iPhone #AppStorePricing
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/12/twitter-blue-relaunches-with-steeper-price-for-apple-users-.html

Twitter suspends journalists who have been covering Elon Musk and the company

Musk indicated that the suspensions were related to new rules that ban private jet trackers. On Wednesday, Twitter suspended an account that tweeted the whereabouts of his plane.

#ElonMusk #PrivateJet #Twitter #Journalism

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/twitter-suspends-journalists-covering-elon-musk-company-rcna62032

Elon's Commitment To Free Speech Rapidly Replaced By His Commitment To Blatant Hypocrisy: Bans The JoinMastodon Twitter Account

#FreeSpeech #AntiCompetition #ElonMusk #Twitter #JoinMastodon #Mastodon #TwitterMigration
https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/15/elons-commitment-to-free-speech-rapidly-replaced-by-his-commitment-to-blatant-hypocrisy-bans-the-joinmastodon-account/

Elon's Cool New Plan for Your Data Is Probably Illegal

Twitter may force you to hand over location data and give consent for targeted ads if you want to keep using it.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #Advertisements #TargetedAdvertising #Privacy #PrivacyIsThePrice
https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-data-must-agree-ads-illegal-1849893232

#Twitter stiffs software vendor Imply Data, Inc. with $8 million left on contract, lawsuit says.

"For over 4 years, Imply has licensed its proprietary software to Twitter, and Twitter has paid Imply over $10 million," the lawsuit said. Both parties extended the term of their software license and service agreement for an additional 3 years ending Sep 30, 2024.

In May, a few weeks after #ElonMusk struck a deal to buy Twitter notified #ImplyData that it would not renew.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/12/twitter-stiffs-software-vendor-with-8-million-left-on-contract-lawsuit-says/

#ElonMusk reinstates suspended journalists on #Twitter after a backlash

The accounts that went dark included Donie O'Sullivan of CNN; Ryan Mac of The New York Times; Drew Harwell of The Washington Post; Micah Lee of The Intercept; and journalist Aaron Rupar.

On Friday evening, Musk put the decision of whether to reinstate suspended accounts up for a public vote via Twitter on his account.

#Journalism #DonieOSullivan #RyanMac #DrewHarwell #MicahLee #AaronRupar
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/17/1143796992/twitter-lifts-suspensions-on-several-journalists-amid-rift-between-the-site-and-

Twitter abruptly bans all links to Instagram, Mastodon, and other competitors

The platform will still allow the paid promotion of these banned social platforms, however.

#ElonMusk #Twitter #Instagram #Mastodon #AntiCompetition
https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/18/23515221/twitter-bans-links-instagram-mastodon-competitors

In Join Mastodon's first tweet after being un-banned is a quote tweet of Twitter Support's "we will no longer allow free promotion of certain social media platforms on Twitter" thread stating:

"As a company from eastern Germany, we know that building a wall to try and keep people from leaving isn't a good idea."

#JoinMastodon #Mastodon #Twitter #ElonMusk #NaziGermany #BerlinWall
https://twitter.com/joinmastodon/status/1604623830189838337

Twitter's quoted thread is deleted, but archived.
https://web.archive.org/web/20221219010518/https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1604531261791522817

#ElonMusk polled #Twitter users on whether he should remain as the company's #CEO and claimed he would abide by the results.

It concluded with 17.5 million votes—and a large majority urging him to step down.

Musk hasn't confirmed whether he will actually step down. "The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive," Musk wrote last night after posting the poll. Musk denied already having a new CEO already selected.

#VotedOut
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/12/musk-polls-twitter-users-on-whether-he-should-be-ceo-57-5-want-him-to-quit/

Rep Ted Lieu tweets:

Oh look, Elon Musk lied again. He just made another major policy change at Twitter without a vote. He announced Twitter is now going to restrict voting to only blue members.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-20/musk-says-twitter-will-restrict-voting-on-policy-to-blue-members

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1604616863673208832

#ElonMusk #Twitter #TwitterBlue #TwitterVotingPollTax
https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1605063868325076992

UN human rights chief calls on Musk to respect free speech

Volker Türk, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, sent an open letter to Musk last month urging him to place human rights at the center of his management of Twitter.

#UnitedNations #UN #ElonMusk #FreeSpeech #HumanRights #Twitter #VolkerTürk
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3780219-un-human-rights-chief-calls-on-musk-to-respect-free-speech/

Elon Musk says he will resign as Twitter's CEO when he finds a replacement

#ElonMusk #Twitter
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musk-says-will-resign-twitters-ceo-finds-replacement-rcna62694

PS3 Hacker Hired To Fix Twitter By Elon Musk Quit

George Hotz barely lasted one month before announcing his resignation on Twitter

Hotz:
"Resigned from Twitter today.

Appreciate the opportunity, but didn’t think there was any real impact I could make there. Besides, it was sad to see my GitHub withering. Back to coding!"

https://kotaku.com/elon-musk-twitter-george-hotz-ps3-hacker-intern-quit-1849923347
#Twitter #ElonMusk #GeorgeHotz #GeoHot #Internship

Elon Musk blames Twitter cost cuts on "$3 billion negative cash flow"

Musk:

"We have an emergency fire drill on our hands. ... This company is like you’re in a plane that is headed towards the ground and high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don’t work," he said. "That's the reason for my actions that may seem sometimes spurious."

Many marketers have pulled out of the platform since Musk's takeover because of moderation concerns.

#Twitter #ElonMusk
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/12/elon-musk-blames-twitter-cost-cuts-on-3-billion-negative-cash-flow/

Several journalists remain locked out of their #Twitter accounts after refusing to delete tweets about an account that tracked CEO #ElonMusk’s private jet, according to The Washington Post.

The journalists — including Voice of America’s Steve Herman, the Post’s Drew Harwell, The New York Times’s Ryan Mac, CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, Fox Business’s Susan Li and The Intercept’s Micah Lee — were suspended for reporting on Musk’s dispute with the creator of the ElonJet account.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3786890-journalists-locked-out-of-twitter-accounts-after-refusing-to-delete-musk-tweets/

Twitter removes suicide prevention feature, says it's under revamp

After publication of this story, Twitter head of trust and safety Ella Irwin told #Reuters in an email that "we have been fixing and revamping our prompts. They were just temporarily removed while we do that."

"We expect to have them back up next week," she said.

#Twitter #Suicide #SuicidePrevention
https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musk-orders-removal-twitter-suicide-prevention-feature-sources-say-2022-12-23/

Musk contradicts Twitter safety chief, disavows statement as “fake news”

Ever since The Verge reported that Twitter shut down its communications office, it’s been harder to confirm information about the company, which seems to be the way that CEO Elon Musk likes it.

However, increasingly, Twitter trust and safety chief Ella Irwin seems more willing to confirm or deny rumors to media outlets, a move that’s possibly irking Musk.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #EllaIrwin
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/12/musk-implies-twitter-exec-falsely-reported-removal-of-suicide-prevention-tool/

#ElonMusk Fires Twitter Janitors, Reportedly Forcing Staff To Bring Own Toilet Paper

Musk suddenly canceled janitorial services early last month at the headquarters, NBC News reported.
Janitors said they were locked out with no warning, just weeks before the holidays, after they had sought better wages, and the company terminated a cleaning contract.

A 10 year Twitter janitor was told robots will eventually do their job.

#Twitter #Janitors #ToiletPaper #CleaningRobots
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-twitter-janitors-cut-smelly-toilet-paperr_n_63afb374e4b0ae9de1b706b2

Twitter's San Francisco headquarters — and the company's Seattle office — are getting smelly and gross after Musk boasted that he's "cutting costs like crazy."

"The smell of leftover takeout food and body odor has lingered on the floors ... bathrooms have grown dirty," The New York Times reported Thursday, citing accounts from employees.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-twitter-janitors-cut-smelly-toilet-paperr_n_63afb374e4b0ae9de1b706b2

Musk's Twitter to lift ban on political ads 'in coming weeks'

The announcement comes as advertisers have fled the platform in droves after Elon Musk's takeover last October.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #PoliticalAdvertising #TargetedAds #Elections #Advertising
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/03/twitter-political-advertisements-announcement-00076234

Twitter Support's statement:
https://twitter.com/twittersafety/status/1610399203481784320