Musk has only been in charge of the social network for a short time. When it comes to making content moderation decisions, Musk claims he will be moving more slowly.
Since taking over at Twitter, Musk hasn't said much, but he will reportedly form a policy advisory body. We will definitely have to wait and see if the group will reflect diverse viewpoints.
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
Musk says he won't make any major decisions before the council is put in place. It is difficult to say if it will happen within hours or if it won't happen at all.
Musk let go of a top policy executive at the company who helped navigate complex legal and moderation issues for more than a decade. A new era with different decision making was signaled by the removal of Gadde.
Advertisers that are wary of Musk immediately turning the platform into an anything-goes mess of harassment, hate and misinformation are likely to be more comforted by the fact that Musk has responded. Advertisers are watching for any major shifts in the kind of content allowed on the platform and how it might affect their brands.
Even though Musk thinks this is an original idea, he already consults a trust and safety council to advise its product and policy decisions. Initially, the council consisted of 40 organizations and experts that advised it in challenging policies. Unlike Meta's Oversight Board, that group wasn't designed to make binding decisions.
Safety and online harassment, digital rights, child sexual exploitation and suicide prevention are some of the difficult topics that will be addressed by the new entity. A lot of what we currently do, such as ongoing meetings with NGOs, is always part of our process, but we haven't done enough to share that outside.
It is possible that Musk has something similar to the Oversight Board in mind when it comes to content moderation, but everything from the people who serve on a hypothetical council to the nature of the group's impact is likely to be controversial.
Twitter Forms A “Trust & Safety Council” To Balance Abuse Vs Free Speech
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