Twitter, a microblogging site, recently announced that users will be able to appeal account suspensions and have their accounts evaluated under the social media platform’s new reinstatement criteria beginning February 1, 2023.
According to the company, under the new criteria, Twitter accounts will only be suspended for severe or ongoing and repeat violations of the platform’s policies. Severe policy violations include engaging in illegal content or activity, inciting or threatening violence or harm, and engaging in targeted harassment of other users, among others.
Twitter stated that in the future, it will take less severe actions, such as limiting the reach of tweets that violate its policies or requiring users to remove tweets before continuing to use the account, rather than account suspension.
Musk was chastised in December for suspending the accounts of several journalists following a dispute over the publication of public data about the billionaire’s plane. Later, he restored the accounts.
Meanwhile, months after Elon Musk’s contentious takeover of Twitter, the social media platform’s co-founder suggests that the tech billionaire may not be the best fit for the company. ‘Improvements to morale and content policies at the business have been reversed’ since the new owner took over.
He added, “It doesn’t seem like it right now, but I could be wrong.” Since the Twitter takeover, Musk has been criticised for his decisions including massive lay-offs, harsh monitisation strategies, reinstating previously banned account etc.
Hinting in particular about how content policies have changed, Stone said, “We made a lot of improvements in those areas. And that’s all gone now.”