Thursday, Twitter suspended the accounts of journalists who cover the social media network and its new owner, Elon Musk, including reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America, and other publications.
The firm has not explained to the journalists why it deleted their Twitter accounts, biographies, and past tweets. Musk, though, resorted to Twitter on Thursday evening to accuse journalists of providing “essentially assassination coordinates” on his movements. He offered no proof to support his assertion.
Mastodon, which has emerged as an alternative to Twitter, has also had its account suspended. Mastodon could not be reached immediately for comment.
The unexpected suspension of news reporters followed Musk’s Wednesday decision to permanently disable an account that automatically tracked the travels of his private jet using public data. This also prompted Twitter to amend its rules for all users to ban sharing the present location of another person without their agreement.
Several of the reporters suspended on Thursday evening had been writing about the new policy and Musk’s justification for enforcing it, which includes his assertions of a stalking episode affecting his family in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
Musk tweeted on Thursday, “The same doxxing standards apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else.” Later, he added, “Criticizing me all day is perfectly acceptable, but doxxing my real-time location and putting my family in risk is not.”
Doxxing is the online disclosure of a person’s identity, address, or other personal information.
The chief editor of The Washington Post, Sally Buzbee, demanded that the Twitter account of technology reporter Drew Harwell be reinstated immediately. Buzbee noted that the ban “clearly undermines Elon Musk’s assertion that he wishes to operate Twitter as a platform committed to free speech.” Following the publication of his factual reporting regarding Musk, Harwell was exiled without forewarning, process, or explanation.
CNN stated in a statement that “the abrupt and unjustifiable suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is troubling but not unexpected.”
CNN’s statement continued, “Twitter’s rising instability and volatility should be of grave concern to all Twitter users.” We have requested an explanation from Twitter and will reevaluate our partnership based on their response.
Matt Binder of the technology news outlet Mashable, who was also suspended, said he was banned Thursday night after sharing a screenshot that O’Sullivan had shared prior to his suspension.
The screenshot displayed a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department sent earlier Thursday to multiple media outlets, including The Associated Press, indicating that the department had been in contact with Musk’s representatives regarding the alleged stalking incident but that no official report had been filed.
“I did not share any location information in accordance with Twitter’s new conditions. I also did not disclose any connections to ElonJet or any other location-tracking accounts “In an email, Binder explained. I have been extremely critical of Musk, but I have never violated any of Twitter’s stated regulations.
Binder stated that a notification he received while attempting to access his Twitter account confirmed his permanent suspension. In answer to a question regarding his suspension of former ESPN and MSNBC broadcaster Keith Olbermann, Musk later hinted that the punishment would last one week.
Musk temporarily joined a Twitter Spaces conference chat hosted by Buzzfeed journalist Kate Notopoulos on Thursday night. He continued his assertion that the journalists whom Twitter had banned were “doxxing” him when they reported on the accounts for jet tracking being blocked.
Musk responded, when questioned by the Post’s Drew Harwell if there was a relationship between the stalker incident and the sharing of real-time information, “There is no special treatment for journalists.”
“If you dox, you will be suspended,” he warned before quickly signing off. The Spaces unexpectedly concluded shortly before 9 p.m. Pacific Time.
At 9:14 p.m. Pacific time, host Notopoulos tweeted, “Sorry it seems the Space cut out, my screen went instantly blank, and everyone was kicked off.”
Another suspended journalist, Voice of America’s Steve Herman, speculates that he was blocked “because I tweeted about other journalists being removed for tweeting about accounts being banned for linking to the Elon Jet feed.”
The non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists, which defends journalists throughout the world, expressed worry about the suspensions on Thursday night.
“If proven as retaliation for their work, this would be a grave breach of the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal,” the organization added.
The bans come as Musk makes significant changes to Twitter’s content control. Through the revelation of corporate records nicknamed “The Twitter Files,” he has attempted to claim that the site stifled right-wing voices under its former leadership. The files contain hundreds of company-internal memos detailing content filtering decisions.
He has reinstated prominent accounts that previously violated Twitter’s rules against abusive conduct or harmful misinformation, but he has also stated that he will control negativity and hatred by denying some accounts “freedom of reach.”
Musk responded to criticism of the Twitter Files with the following tweet on December 2: “Twitter acting alone to suppress free speech is not a violation of the First Amendment, but acting on orders from the government to suppress free speech without judicial review is.”
Musk resurrected numerous banned accounts last month, including that of former President Donald Trump, rapper Kanye West, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
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