Twitter will form content moderation council, no major decisions before group meets - Musk

WASHINGTON: Social media company Twitter will form a special council to moderate the platform as part of its overhaul by billionaire purchaser Elon Musk, with no decisions on content or account reinstatements expected before the group convenes, the tech entrepreneur said on Friday.

"Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints," Sputnik quoted Musk as saying via social media. "No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes."

On Thursday, Musk closed the US$44 billion deal to acquire Twitter, negotiations for which began in April. The acquisition was delayed due to concerns by Musk about the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Musk vowed to bolster protections for free speech on Twitter as part of his acquisition of the platform. Additionally, Musk said earlier this year he would be willing to reverse Twitter's ban of former US President Donald Trump, instated following the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

Musk's new statement suggests the reinstatement may instead be a decision made by the content moderation council.

However, earlier on Friday, Trump reportedly said he would stay on his own platform, Truth Social, but wished Musk luck with his acquisition of Twitter.

-- BERNAMA