The list of people banned from the platform is long, but it could soon be over if Musk succeeds in buying it.
The richest man in the world, Musk, believes in free speech and believes in allowing any content that doesn't run afoul of the law.
While Musk hasn't offered specifics about how he would run the platform, his musings are prompting celebrations from some of those muzzled by Twitter, even as they alarm internet safety experts who predict a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation about topics like vaccines and elections.
There is no reason why these people wouldn't want to be in this space, according to the manager of research and training at the Disinfo Defense League.
If Musk succeeds in buying it, here is a look at who might return to the micro-messaging service.
Even if Musk lifts the ban imposed after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Trump will not return to the social network. Concerns of further inciting to violence were cited by the platform.
Trump launched his own platform, Truth Social, after his banishment.
I'm not going on the social networking site. Trump told Fox News that he was going to stay on Truth.
Before his suspension, Trump used his account to spread lies about the 2020 election and amplify potentially dangerous misinformation.
Despite what the former president said, it may be too tempting to return to the social networking site.
It's almost certain that Donald Trump will return to social media once he's the Republican Party's presidential nominee.
Two former top advisers to Trump were banned from the social networking site after violating their rules. He called for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease specialist.
Stone tried to create a new account on Thursday, but was quickly re-suspended.
Michael Flynn, Lin Wood, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene were kicked off the social network for spreading misinformation.
Musk will have to contend with content that preaches hate based on things like race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Duke and the Proud Boys organization are among the white supremacists banned by the social media site.
There have been mixed results in the fight against hate speech. A quick search of the platform shows many racist slurs and attacks.
Several admitted white supremacists celebrated the news that Musk was interested in the platform.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said that extremists are celebrating. This is dangerous.
The attack on the Capitol accelerated the process of cracking down on content on the platform. As of last year, more than 150,000 accounts had been suspended.
The baseless belief that Trump was fighting deep state enemies and a group of Satan-worshipping cannibals is the basis of the conspiracy theory advocated by the QAnon followers. Some believers were in the mob that went to the Capitol.
Some of them want to get back on the social networking site.
Ron Watkins wrote on the platform Telegram that the deal was done. He predicted that banned accounts would be restored.
Other conspiracy theorists have also felt the sting of it, but only when their stated beliefs have been pushed over into hate or harassment.
Two years ago, David Icke was kicked off the platform for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, including claims that Jews and 5G towers were behind the epidemic. Icke believes that a race of lizard people have taken over the Earth and are posing as human leaders.
Alex Jones was banned from the internet for abusive behavior. The parents of children who were killed in the 2012 school shooting in Connecticut filed a defamation case against Jones. Twenty first graders and six teachers were killed in a massacre.
It's possible that Trump is not the only user who ends up happy in a new home. Conservative and far-right users have grown in popularity on other new platforms, like Gab, which caters to them.
The new sites have little to no moderation and can easily be found with conversations about U.S. politics and culture.
Andrew Torba predicted after Musk's purchase offer that he would struggle to realize his vision. While Trump may be sticking with his own platform for competitive reasons, other conservatives may not be tempted by Musk's promises of free speech absolutism. According to Torba, one of the employees may put up a fight.
George Farmer sounded the same note in his message.
We are not going anywhere, Farmer wrote.
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