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Many Banned Twitter Accounts to Get Back! ‘Vox Populi, Vox Dei'

Twitter CEO had published a poll the day before to determine whether or not affected users' accounts should be reinstated.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

On Thursday, Elon Musk announced that beginning the next week; Twitter will begin granting "a wide amnesty" to accounts that have previously been banned from the network. The platform's CEO had published a poll the day before to determine whether or not affected users' accounts should be reinstated.

"Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?" said the tweet as a poll.

The announcement was made less than a week after Musk lifted the ban that had prevented former President Donald Trump from using the platform. Musk did so after conducting a similar survey. After the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump was barred from using the site and stated he had no intention of using it again.

Musk's user survey included a disclaimer stating suspended account holders might rejoin the network "assuming that they have not broken any laws or engaged in severe spam." The survey received almost 3.2 million responses, with 72.4% of those users voting in support of amnesty.

"The voice of the people has been heard. Amnesty begins next week. Musk stated, in Latin, "Vox Populi, Vox Dei," which means "The voice of the people is the voice of god." Musk was referring to the phrase in his statement.

Major personalities reacted favorably to the tweet. Michal Saylor said,

"Let the people speak."

Long History of Twitter Banning People

Twitter has a long history of banning accounts that promote hate speech and harassment, have the potential to instigate violence, or actively spread disinformation that can cause harm to others.

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes was banned for violating the site's policy prohibiting violent extremist groups.

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon was banned (1) for saying that Anthony Fauci and Christopher Wray should be beheaded. Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, was banned for making a series of claims that Trump won the presidential election in 2020. Steve Bannon was banned for saying that Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray ought

Mr. Musk did not provide any specifics regarding the amnesty procedure and how it would be carried out. After launching a poll on the matter, in which users provided their opinions on the matter, he decided to bring back Donald Trump's account on Saturday.

However, given that he stated, "I don't see any need for it," the former US President might not return to the platform. He has declared his intention to make another run for the presidency of the United States in 2024.

Following the United States Capitol invasion by Trump supporters in 2021, his Twitter account was terminated (2) because it posed a threat of inciting violence.
Mr. Musk has also brought back online the Twitter profiles of the rapper Ye (previously known as Kanye West) and the influencer Andrew Tate.

However, the multi-billionaire stated that Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist, would not be permitted to return to Twitter (3).

After making false claims that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the United States, in which 20 kids and six adults were slain, was a hoax, the host of Infowars, Jones, has been ordered to pay $1.44 billion in damages for his actions.

Mr. Musk revealed in a letter that his own child had passed away, and he stated that he "had no mercy" for anybody who "would utilize the deaths of children for greed, politics, or fame."

In a previous statement, he indicated that a moderation board would not be selected until after a decision about banned accounts was made. After months of negotiation, Musk finally closed the deal on October 28 to purchase Twitter for $44 billion.

Since then, he has fired half of the 7,500 employees working for the company, and it is claimed that hundreds more workers have quit after receiving an email that stated that those who stayed in their positions would be expected to put in long hours and "hardcore" work.

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