Musk’s ‘free speech’ push for Twitter: Repeating history?

Greer, a political activist with Fight for the Future, said Musk’s lack of experience in moderating an influential social media platform will be a problem if he successfully takes over the company. — AP

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is spending US$44bil (RM191.61bil) to acquire Twitter with the stated aim of turning it into a haven for “free speech”. There’s just one problem: The social platform has been down this road before, and it didn’t end well.

A decade ago, a Twitter executive dubbed the company “the free speech wing of the free speech party” to underscore its commitment to untrammeled freedom of expression. Subsequent events put that moniker to the test, as repressive regimes cracked down on Twitter users, particularly in the wake of the short-lived “Arab Spring” demonstrations. In the US, a visceral 2014 article by journalist Amanda Hess exposed the incessant, vile harassment many women faced just for posting on Twitter or other online forums.