Persistent Disparity: Inequitable Enforcement of Subjective Rules Continues to Haunt Elon Musk's Free Speech Platform
Twitter Users Face Suspensions Due to Controversy Surrounding Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Nipples.
By Alexander Muse ¡
UPDATE: As of 3:30 PM CST my account was restored without explanation.
Twitter continues to grapple with its historical legacy of partisan censorship. While the censorship of certain ideas and media remains a concern, I firmly believe that Twitter should adopt a policy of providing prior notice before suspending user accounts. It is unfair to suspend users who share content that is widely available on the platform without any warning, particularly considering the growing number of events being hosted on Twitter. If Twitter aspires to become X, it must mature and instill users with confidence by ensuring it becomes a trustworthy platform.
Earlier this week I shared an article titled, âAOC in a Twitter tizzy, warns followers over parody account mocking herâ1, and in another tweet, I joked that AOC wanted her followers to know she wasnât nearly as funny as her parody account. I also included a photo of AOC from a press conference as Twitterâs algorithm rewards the inclusion of media. The tweet generated millions of impressions until Twitter removed the tweet and suspended my account. If you would, please take a minute to let Twitter know you donât support @amuseâs suspensionâŚ
First, in my defense, I found the âoffendingâ photo that I included in the tweet on Twitter itself.2 In fact, it has appeared in hundreds if not thousands of tweets since 2020 - all of which can still be found on Twitter. It has been widely distributed for years across the internet as a quick Google Lens Search reveals. Second, since the photo depicts a fully clothed congresswoman I donât see how one could argue it constituted âintimateâ media. Third, the photo was taken at a public press conference and was not âprivately producedâ. Ultimately, although numerous arguments have been made suggesting that the photo was manipulated to create the illusion of a sheer blouse, I must acknowledge that I lack any personal knowledge regarding whether the picture I shared was the authentic original or a modified rendition. At the end of the day, I donât believe sharing a photo I found on Twitter of a public person taken at a public event on Twitter should result in my account being suspended.
That being said, I realize that Twitter may not want the photograph shared on its platform. Given the fact that Twitter and Elon Musk are under attack from AOC for platforming a particularly funny parody account, they may have decided to delete my tweet. Honestly, I donât really care about the censorship but I do object to the suspension. Rules must be applied fairly. If my account isnât allowed to share the photo of AOC no account should be allowed to share it. If my account is suspended for sharing the photo all accounts who have should be suspended.
Change the rules. Delete the tweet. But give users notice BEFORE suspending their account. My suspension is particularly annoying given the fact that I was scheduled to host a Twitter Space with one of President Zelenskyâs advisors and the current president of the Kyiv School of Economics tonight. Because I made contact with my guests exclusively through Twitter I do not have any way of contacting them to reschedule. If you know Tymofiy Mylovanov please let him know I wonât be able to host the Space tonightâŚ
