Elon Musk said Friday his social media company X would scrap a feature that allows users to block posts from specific accounts.
"Block is going to be deleted as a 'feature', except for DMs," Musk posted, indicating the option would still be available for "direct messages" between users of the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The feature is used to restrict interaction with specific accounts on the platform.
Musk has repeatedly cited a desire for free speech as motivating his changes, and lashed out at what he sees as the threat posed to free expression by changing cultural sensitivities.
Since the tycoon bought the social media platform for $44 billion last October, its advertising business has collapsed, in part because of its looser approach to blocking hate speech, and the return of previously banned far-right accounts.
According to nonprofit organisation the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), hate speech has flourished on the platform.
X has disputed the findings and is suing the CCDH.
In December, Musk reinstated former US president Donald Trump's Twitter account, although Trump has yet to return to the platform.
The ex-president was banned from Twitter in early 2021 for his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by a group of his supporters seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
X recently reinstated rapper and designer Kanye West around eight months after his account was suspended, according to media reports.
Last fall, West, who now goes professionally by Ye, posted an image that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of David, and Musk suspended the artist from the platform.
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X
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Defense Industry Analyst:
8
Stock Market Analyst:
8
General Industry Analyst:
6
Analyst Summary
: Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), announced on Friday that the platform would be scrapping the “block” feature, which allows users to restrict interaction with specific accounts. Musk has argued that this change is necessary to protect free speech, and the platform has since seen a decrease in advertising revenue due to its looser approach to blocking hate speech and the return of more far-right accounts. This move has been met with criticism from the nonprofit organization, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which has argued that hate speech has flourished on the platform. X is now suing the CCDH for their findings. Additionally, Musk reinstated former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account in December, although Trump has yet to return to the platform. The platform also reinstated rapper and designer Kanye West around eight months after his account was suspended for posting an image that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of David.This article relates to significant events and trends in the space and defense industry over the past 25 years because it highlights the importance of free speech and the tension between censorship and hate speech. The article also discusses the implications of allowing far-right accounts back to the platform, which could be seen as a form of censorship. There is a discrepancy between the need to protect free speech and the need to protect people from hate speech, which is a major issue that the industry has been dealing with for the past 25 years.Investigative
Question:
- 1. How will the scrapping of the “block” feature affect the advertising revenue for X?
- 2. What other measures is the platform taking to ensure that hate speech is not proliferating on the platform?
- 3.
What kind of impact will this move have on the other social media platforms?4. How will this decision affect the platform’s relationship with the Center for Countering Digital Hate?
5. How will the decision to reinstate Donald Trump and Kanye West affect public opinion of the platform?
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