Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he will reverse Twitter’s permanent ban of former U.S. President Donald Trump if the billionaire's plan to buy the social media company works out.
"I would reverse the ban," the billionaire said at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference, noting that he doesn't own Twitter yet, so "this is not like a thing that will definitely happen."
The Tesla chief's $44 billion deal to buy Twitter must still get the backing of shareholders and regulators, but he has voiced enthusiasm for less content moderation and fewer bans.
The suspension of Trump's account, which had more than 88 million followers, silenced his primary megaphone days before the end of his term and follows years of debate about how social media companies should moderate the accounts of powerful global leaders.
Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter shortly after the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol. Twitter cited "the risk of further incitement of violence" in its decision.
The decision amplified his views among people on the political right, Musk said, calling the ban "morally wrong and flat-out stupid."
Trump previously told Fox News that he would not return to Twitter even if Musk purchases the platform and reinstates his account, and said he would use his own social media app called Truth Social, which launched on the Apple app store in late February but was glitchy until more recently when it began letting more users in.
Moves to protect social media users
In a move likely to ease the minds of social media users, Musk has given his support to a new European Union law aimed at protecting them from harmful content after he met with the bloc's single market chief.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told The Associated Press (AP) on Tuesday that he outlined to Musk how the bloc’s online regulations aim to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal "will be forbidden in the digital space," which Musk "fully agreed with."
In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk said the two had a "great discussion" and that he agrees with the Digital Services Act, which is expected to get final approval later this year. It will make big tech companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook parent Meta police their platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content like hate speech and disinformation or face billions in fines.
Musk's plan to buy Twitter has raised fears he would make changes to the platform that would prioritize free speech over online safety – potentially putting him at odds with the looming rules in Europe, which has led a global movement to crack down on the power of tech giants.
The 65-second clip indicates Musk's and the EU's views may be closer than they appear. Breton says in the video that he explained the Digital Services Act to Musk in a meeting at Tesla's Texas headquarters. Musk responds by saying it's "exactly aligned with my thinking."
"I agree with everything you said, really," Musk said. "I think we’re very much of the same mind and, you know, I think anything that my companies can do that can be beneficial to Europe, we want to do that."
The attempted Twitter acquisition by Musk, a billionaire and self-described free speech absolutist, had raised concerns that he would take a hands-off approach to content moderation.
Breton told AP he explained to Musk that the new law means "we need also to have more moderators and in the language where we operate. So he fully understood."
The pair agreed on the importance of being able to inspect algorithms that determine what social media users are being shown, Breton said.
The Digital Services Act requires more transparency for algorithms, and Musk has called for opening them up to public inspection.
Breton said he told Musk the EU law includes provisions to maintain the rights of users, such as giving them the right to appeal bans.