November 22, 2022

A coalition of civil rights activists, including Stop Toxic Twitter and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has expressed concern about Elon Musk’s decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account, calling it dangerous and inconsistent, and urging advertisers to boycott Twitter.

Stop Toxic Twitter complained that Musk had stated that a new content moderation council would meet and discuss the issue before any ban would be lifted, but no such council had been formed. This suggests that Musk lied from the start. As a result, Stop Toxic Twitter is asking brands that have not publicized their Twitter pause to make public statements in order to put pressure on the remaining 49 advertisers who have not taken action.

The ADL shares the same concerns as Stop Toxic Twitter, stating that Musk assured it that no one previously banned would be reinstated until he had implemented a transparent, clear process that took into account the views of civil society, which he has not done. According to ADL, Twitter’s sudden drop in staffing levels has resulted in a drop in moderation standards, which has led to an increase in hate and disinformation.

While reports suggest that some companies and brands have already pulled ad campaigns in response to the uncertainty caused by Musk’s takeover, Musk also claimed earlier this month that activist pressure had already resulted in a massive drop in revenue.

The sources for this piece include articles in Reuters and BBC.