Elon Musk Twitter Suspension

Elon Musk Twitter Suspension
Short Title	Elon Musk Twitter Suspension
Location	Twitter (Online Platform)
Date	December 16, 2022
Solove Harm	Disclosure, Information Collection
Information
Threat Actors	Elon Musk (Owner of Twitter)
Individuals
Affected	Prominent Journalists, Users of Twitter
High Risk Groups	Celebrities, Consumers
Tangible Harms	Loss of Trust, Embarrassment

Elon Musk, as Twitter's new owner, banned prominent journalists, claiming they disclosed his location, raising privacy concerns under "Disclosure" in the Solove Taxonomy. Tangible harms include journalists losing their platforms and potential damage to Twitter's free speech reputation. This event underscores the balance between free speech and platform owner authority.

Description

In this event, Elon Musk, the newly appointed owner of Twitter, undertook the significant action of permanently suspending the accounts of several prominent journalists, including those from CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Musk justified these suspensions by alleging a violation of his "doxxing" policy, specifically claiming that the journalists had disclosed his precise real-time location, which they vehemently denied. This controversy unveils multifaceted privacy concerns, particularly within the Solove Taxonomy.

The primary Solove Taxonomy applicable in this context is "Disclosure." The act of disclosure involves the sharing of information that can impact someone's security, and in this case, the allegation of sharing Musk's real-time location touches upon the sensitive matter of disclosing someone's personal information online, which has the potential to affect Musk's security and privacy.

Furthermore, within the Solove Taxonomy, the normative harm primarily falls under the category of "Information Collection." The allegation of sharing Musk's real-time location underscores the sensitive nature of disclosing someone's personal information online. However, it is crucial to underscore that this information was publicly available flight data and not private, which raises questions about the proportionality of the response.

Tangible harms in this situation include the loss of online platforms for the suspended journalists, which is a significant professional and reputational detriment. Twitter serves as a vital tool for journalists to engage with their audience and share news. Furthermore, the event has the potential to tarnish Twitter's reputation as a platform committed to fostering free speech, particularly given Musk's previous statements about allowing all legal speech on the platform. The suspension of these journalists also highlights broader concerns about censorship and the use of power by platform owners in the digital age.

Ultimately, the event prompts important discussions about the delicate balance between free speech and responsible content moderation on social media platforms, with implications that extend beyond this specific instance.

Sources

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/media/twitter-musk-journalists-hnk-intl/index.html#