Zinger Key Points
- The story published in the New York Post was based on materials obtained from a laptop left at a Delaware repair shop.
- In October 2020, both Twitter and Facebook faced challenges over restricting stories connected to Hunter Biden.
To restore public trust in Twitter, CEO Elon Musk hinted last month that he would release internal communications showing how Twitter censored a story about Hunter Biden's laptop just ahead of the 2020 presidential election and how it all went down.
On Friday, in a Twitter post, Musk announced that he would reveal all the details about the suppression of the Hunter Biden story. He followed up by posting a series of Twitter threads from journalist Matt Taibbi.
What really happened with the Hunter Biden story suppression by Twitter will be published on Twitter at 5pm ET!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2022
In a lengthy tweet thread, Taibbi said he received "thousands of internal documents" from sources at Twitter and detailed what transpired behind the scenes at the company during the incident.
In his tweets, Taibbi included screenshots of emails of requests from unidentified people in President Joe Biden's administration, asking contacts at Twitter to take action against specific tweets.
3. The “Twitter Files” tell an incredible story from inside one of the world’s largest and most influential social media platforms. It is a Frankensteinian tale of a human-built mechanism grown out the control of its designer.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 2, 2022
"Some of the first tools for controlling speech were designed to combat the likes of spam and financial fraudsters. Over time, Twitter staff and executives began to find more and more uses for these tools. Outsiders began petitioning the company to manipulate speech as well: first a little, then more often, then constantly," Taibbi wrote.
In one of his Twitter threads, Taibbi shared a screenshot of an October 2020 exchange featuring links to tweets Biden's team allegedly wanted to be taken down.
8. By 2020, requests from connected actors to delete tweets were routine. One executive would write to another: “More to review from the Biden team.” The reply would come back: “Handled.” pic.twitter.com/mnv0YZI4af
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 2, 2022
In another tweet, Taibbi said, "there's no evidence - that I've seen" of the federal government's "involvement" in disseminating the Hunter Biden laptop story, adding that Twitter's decision to remove material related to the story "was made at the highest levels of the company, but without the knowledge of CEO Jack Dorsey, with former head of legal, policy and trust Vijaya Gadde playing a key role."
22. Although several sources recalled hearing about a “general” warning from federal law enforcement that summer about possible foreign hacks, there’s no evidence - that I've seen - of any government involvement in the laptop story. In fact, that might have been the problem...
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 3, 2022
23. The decision was made at the highest levels of the company, but without the knowledge of CEO Jack Dorsey, with former head of legal, policy and trust Vijaya Gadde playing a key role.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 3, 2022
In response to one of the leaked emails, Musk asked, "If this isn't a violation of the Constitution's First Amendment, what is?"
If this isn’t a violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment, what is?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 3, 2022
After Taibbi's post on Friday, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted, "In 32 days, the new House Republican majority will get answers for the American people and the accountability they deserve."
We're learning in real-time how Twitter colluded to silence the truth about Hunter Biden's laptop just days before the 2020 presidential election.⁰
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) December 3, 2022
In 32 days, the new House Republican majority will get answers for the American people and the accountability they deserve.
In October 2020, both Twitter and Meta Platforms Inc's META Facebook faced challenges over restricting stories connected to Hunter Biden.
The story involving Hunter's laptop was originally published by the New York Post on Oct. 14, 2020, and was based on materials obtained from a laptop left at a Delaware repair shop. The report claimed that Hunter introduced then-Vice President Biden to a Ukrainian businessman.
Read Next: Musk Says Twitter Ban On Trump Was' Grave Mistake,' Reveals Preferred 2024 Presidential Candidate
Photo: Courtesy of shutterstock.com and Dunk on flickr.
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