President Joe Biden criticized Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter Inc., pronouncing the social media platform changed into accountable for spewing lies. Biden made the comments as an apart at some stage in a fundraiser in Chicago on Friday nighttime as he warned donors approximately the impact the Nov. eight midterms might have on the approaching years.
“Now what are all of us involved approximately? Elon Musk is going out and buys an outfit that sends and spews lies all throughout the world,” Biden said.
“There’s no editors anymore,” Biden added. “There’s no editors. How can we assume youngsters with the intention to recognize what’s at stake?”
Musk, who patterns himself as a champion of free-speech, received Twitter for $forty four billion. He has eliminated maximum pinnacle executives and the board, and fast launched into a plan to put off more or less 1/2 of the company’s 7,500 employees.
His plans to redesign its content material moderation aleven though have rattled advertisers, inclusive of Pfizer Inc. and General Mills Inc., who say they’ll quickly pause advert spending at the platform to peer how Musk intends to alternate Twitter.
Civil rights organizations also are stepping up stress on advertisers to make certain Musk takes steps to preserve the platform from being a bunch to hate speech or disinformation.
Musk recounted Friday that fears over content material moderation on Twitter had brought on a “large drop in revenue” however said “not anything has modified with content material moderation.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre changed into requested Friday approximately the layoffs of content material moderators.
“Look, the president has been outspoken approximately the significance of social media systems persevering with to take steps to lessen hate speech and misinformation,” Jean-Pierre advised newshounds abourd Air Force One. “That perception extends to Twitter. It extends to Facebook and another social media systems in which customers can unfold misinformation.”
