Twitter CEO Elon Musk has come under heavy criticism over his decision to suspend the accounts of some journalists over doxxing – which means to release private information about individuals online.
Reporters for the New York Times, CNN, NBC and the Washington Post, who cover Twitter, were among those whose accounts were suspended on Thursday after Twitter updated its policy to make doxxing one of its don’ts.
Concerned about the implication the decision will have on free speech, world leaders have condemned the development. The United Nations and the European Union have issued statements criticizing the decision as a threat to press freedom.
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The UN tweeted on Friday that ‘Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are fundamental rights” while the EU has threatened to sanction Twitter.
The UN’s under secretary general for global communications, Melissa Fleming, said she was “deeply disturbed” by reports that journalists were being “arbitrarily” suspended from Twitter.
“Media freedom is not a toy. A free press is the cornerstone of democratic societies and a key tool in the fight against harmful disinformation,” she said.
On Friday, EU commissioner Vera Jourova, citing Europe’s new Digital Services Act, threatened to sanction Twitter. She said the rule requires “the respect of media freedom and fundament rights”.
“Elon Musk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon,” she added.
The journalists were locked out following the suspension of an account that tracks Musk’s private jet, a situation he had previously expressed concern about. Musk said earlier this year that tracking his jet poses a security concern and offered $5,000 to the youngster behind the account to stop.
In response to the criticism, a Twitter spokesman said the bans were related to the live sharing of location data. Musk said that it poses a threat to his safety and that of his family, following an incident where he said a “crazy stalker” had used live location sharing to find and accost a vehicle carrying his children in Los Angeles.
“Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not,” he tweeted, adding that accounts that engage in doxxing will receive a temporary seven-day suspension.
“Same doxxing rules apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else,” he added.
But like others, the German Foreign Office has warned Twitter that “press freedom cannot be switched on and off on a whim”.
Musk threw $44 billion on Twitter acquisition deal that he was forced to close in October. The billionaire had said his intention wasn’t to make profits but to promote free speech. But he has been caught several times suspending the accounts of many Twitter users for their views.
The reporters whose accounts were suspended said they only cover Twitter, they don’t engage in doxxing. Musk didn’t provide any evidence to prove that the journalists track his live location.