Elon Musk to 'unlock doors to Twitter jail' with amnesty for suspended accounts
Critics say the move will see far-right and white supremacist accounts such as the American Nazi Party back on the platform - with one award-winning journalist warning it will put lives at risk and telling Musk "you will have blood on your hands!"
Elon Musk has announced he will grant "amnesty" for suspended Twitter accounts - prompting experts to predict a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation.
The billionaire asked his followers in a poll to vote on reinstatements for accounts that have not "broken the law or engaged in egregious spam".
"The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei," Mr Musk tweeted, using a Latin phrase that translates as "the voice of the people, the voice of God".
While it was welcomed by many, the apparent decision prompted an instant flood of criticism.
Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit advocacy group and media watchdog, said the move could see the return of the American Nazi Party and "a whole bunch of... conspiracy theorists who engage in harassment and abuse."
He said reversing the suspensions would mean "turning Twitter into a one-stop shop for operationalising doxxing and harassment, and an engine of radicalisation".
-sky news
