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Twitter has a strong left bias

Twitter has a strong left bias (and two more interesting Musk statements)

As the world is trying to guess how Twitter will evolve under Elon Musk, Financial Times got a live interview with him, the first one after his reaching a $44bln deal to buy the social media platform. 

During that interview, Musk made some rather clear and bold statements, that will provoke reactions, but should also be food for thought and not just dismissed or endorsed.  Having listened to the whole interview [which is accessible here] three are the statements that Moonshot News believes stick out for someone who is interested in the dialogue about social media and the access to it. 

 

Twitter should open source the algorithm

Musk said that Twitter should open source its algorithms and be open to improvement and changes from the users, who would be able to understand why some tweets get the visibility that they do, while others don’t. He also wants to make it explicit when there is a human intervention or adjustments to a Twitter account or tweet. 

‘You need transparency to build trust’, he commented. 

Read Also:  Sofie Hvitved: 'We need ethical algorithms to ensure that the good content reaches the wide audiences'

 

Twitter has currently a strong left bias

“Twitter needs to be much more even-handed. It currently has a strong left bias, because it is based in San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the US. ‘I do not think that people are intentional, at least not all of them, I am sure that from their perspective it seems moderate, but they come out from an environment that is very far left.  This fails to build trust in other parts of the United States, and also perhaps other parts of the world”, he said.

“Twitter needs to be much more even-handed. The 10% far left and the 10% far-right must be equally upset”, he added. 

Read Also:  Twitter reports more pressure from governments

 

Twitter should delete tweets and not ban people

If there are tweets that are wrong and end bad, there should be either deleted or made invisible. And a temporary suspension is appropriate, but not a permanent ban. Banning Trump from Twitter did not end Trump’s voice, it will amplify it to the right, and that’s why it was morally wrong and flat-out stupid. 

On the question whether he will allow Trump back into Twitter, Musk answered that Trump himself has stated that he will not return to the platform.

Read Also:  Americans split on barring Trump from social media

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