Elon Musk has been mulling over the possibility of reinstating the account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that he will conduct a user poll about the same.
What Happened: On Thursday, a year after the tech billionaire’s commitment to maintain the ban on Jones, infamous for propagating conspiracy theories, including the claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a staged event, Musk indicated a potential comeback for him on X, reported CNBC.
The previous leadership banned Jones on Twitter for breaking the company’s “abusive behavior rules.”
While replying to a user’s query about Jones’s return, Musk said, “Will consider,” adding that for a global town square-like platform, “permanent bans should be extremely rare.”
The tech mogul also highlighted the Community Notes feature, saying that if Jones posts “something false on this platform,” he will get corrected.
It is important to note that since acquiring Twitter for a whopping $44 billion in October last year, Musk has reactivated some high-profile accounts that were banned on the platform. This includes the account of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the tech mogul last year said “no” to a user’s plea to reinstate Jones, referring to his personal tragedy of losing his firstborn child.
Jones has been in the limelight lately due to his scheduled appearance on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show on X.
He previously sought bankruptcy protection after being directed to pay almost $1.5 billion to families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. The families later suggested a settlement with Jones amounting to a minimum of $85 million over 10 years, the report noted.
Why It Matters: This news comes at a time when X is already grappling with controversies.
Earlier this week, former Twitter security chief Alan Rosa filed a lawsuit against Musk and the platform, alleging his unjust dismissal was due to his opposition to the tech billionaire’s cost-cutting measures, which threatened regulatory compliance.
Musk also faced backlash for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy in a post on X, although he apologized during an interview at the New York Times DealBook Forum.
However, Musk also told advertisers to “go f*** yourself” after major companies like Apple and Disney halted advertising on X, further straining the platform’s financial health.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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