Today, Saturday morning, the Twitter administration announced the reactivation of the accounts of a number of journalists on the platform, after global criticism of its suspension earlier.
Twitter owner Elon Musk said that “the suspended accounts of a number of journalists have been reactivated on the Twitter platform.”
Twitter’s unprecedented suspension of the accounts of six journalists prompted a swift response from government officials, activist groups, and news organizations around the world.
The decision to suspend came due to allegations that they disclosed the whereabouts of Elon Musk, owner of the site.
Officials from France, Germany, Britain, and the European Union condemned the suspension, with some saying the platform endangered press freedom.
The six journalists work for US media, including CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
What’s the reason?
Most of these accounts dealt with the news of the freezing of a user account because it followed the path of the plane belonging to the owner of the platform, Elon Musk.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that the move sets a dangerous precedent, expressing the organization’s deep concern about what he described as the arbitrary suspension of the accounts of a number of journalists on Twitter.
French Industry Minister Roland Lescure said he would suspend his Twitter activity following the decision to suspend.
The German Foreign Ministry commented that it does not like moves that threaten freedom of the press.
For his part, Musk said that the rules of the platform should apply to everyone, including journalists, indicating that publishing his whereabouts puts him at risk.
