Musk: "It Will Take Weeks to Restore Twitter Banned Accounts" ... Trump Account Is No Exception

Discussions on Account Recovery to Be Handled by Content Management Committee
Trump's Account Permanently Suspended Due to Capitol Riot... Difficult to Voice Before US Midterm Elections

On the 2nd (local time), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, stated that it would take "a few weeks" to restore suspended Twitter accounts. Accordingly, the restoration of former U.S. President Donald Trump's account is not expected to be completed before the U.S. midterm elections on the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently completed the acquisition of the social networking service (SNS) Twitter, drawing attention to the restoration of banned accounts. Twitter had previously permanently suspended the account of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

On the 2nd (local time), Musk tweeted, "People who have been banned from the platform for violating Twitter rules will not be allowed to return to the platform until a clear (account restoration) procedure is established," adding, "This procedure will take a few more weeks." He also stated, "I spoke with representatives of civil society about how to prevent hate and harassment on Twitter and strengthen election integrity policies." It is known that Musk met with representatives from organizations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Color of Change, the Anti-Defamation League, and Free Press.

Discussions regarding the restoration of banned users' accounts on Twitter after Musk's acquisition are expected to take place within the Content Oversight Board. The newly formed Content Oversight Board is reported to include representatives from civic groups. On the 28th of last month, Musk said, "Twitter will form a Content Oversight Board with broad and diverse perspectives," adding, "No significant decisions or account restoration actions will occur before this board convenes."

Foreign media have focused on the timing of the account restoration mentioned by Musk. It is expected that account restoration will not occur before the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on the 8th. In other words, former President Trump's account is also unlikely to be restored before the midterms.

Reuters analyzed, "The schedule revealed by Musk suggests that Trump will not return to Twitter in time for the midterm elections." The Washington Post also reported, "This means that users whose accounts have been suspended, including former President Trump, will not rejoin Twitter before the midterm elections."

Former President Trump's Twitter account was permanently suspended in January last year, immediately following the Capitol riot by Trump supporters on January 6, due to concerns that it could incite violent acts. Since then, Trump has filed lawsuits requesting account restoration and recently expressed his intention to use 'Truth Social,' the SNS he created.

Musk, known as an 'absolutist of freedom of expression,' had previously criticized Twitter's content regulations multiple times while pursuing the acquisition. He said, "Twitter's suspension of Trump's account did not silence Trump's voice but rather amplified his views among the right-wing," adding, "It was morally wrong and a completely foolish move."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.