Donald Trump Back On Twitter? Not So Fast, Says Elon Musk

Many anticipate that Twitter will undergo a number of changes as a result of Elon Musk's acquisition of the micro-blogging platform.

The company's stance on free speech is anticipated to be one of the most significant, with reports the billionaire is preparing to remove lifetime bans on certain users.

After years of a crackdown on hate speech and posts inciting violence, this may open the door for a number of controversial characters to return to the website.

Read also: Elon Musk's Reasons For Buying Twitter: 'I Didn't Do It To Make Money. I Did It To Try To Help Humanity'

So, after Musk, will contentious individuals like Milo Yiannopoulos, Mike Lindell, Alex Jones and Donald Trump return to the website?

The answer: Maybe. Read on for the latest. 

Musk On Twitter Moderation: Back in May, long before the transaction was completed, Musk said that he planned to reinstate the former president if his bid were to be accepted.

"I do think that it was not correct to ban Donald Trump," Musk said at the time. "I think that was a mistake, because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice."

The plan may have changed Friday. 

Reversing on the May comments, Musk tweeted Friday afternoon that his new company will form a content moderation counsel with widely diverse viewpoints that will convene to consider any major content decisions or account reinstatements.

“No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” the new Twitter boss tweeted.

Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

The Advertising Factor: This is probably for the best, as Twitter's advertisers — which account for 85% of Twitter’s revenue — are willing to push back on Musk if he reinstates Trump on the site, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Allowing Trump to tweet again would cross a boundary for some major brands, according to Kieley Taylor, global head of partnerships at the ad agency GroupM, who was speaking to The Journal.

If the former president did make a comeback, about a dozen of the agency's clients had asked that their Twitter ads be put on hold. Taylor said she anticipated that if his permanent ban was overturned, more clients would join that ship.
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