Twitter is, reportedly, evaluating whether there are any other content filtering technologies that may replace its most severe punishment for breaking certain rules.
Regardless of whether Elon Musk becomes the social media platform's owner, Twitter is revising its contentious practices about permanently banning users in an effort to bring content moderation more in line with his vision.
The removal of bans for violating the organization's policy against inciting violence is not something that is being considered, two of the people said, so any change is unlikely to open the door for Donald Trump to return to the platform.
A lifelong ban was imposed on the former U.S. president not long after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Instead, staff members are examining areas where they believe Twitter may have been overly harsh in banning users for minor infractions, such as the dissemination of false information.
The investigation, which started months ago and hasn't come to any findings yet, comes as attention has been drawn to the policy once again following the brief lockout of American rapper Kanye West's account after he posted an anti-Semitic statement on Saturday.
Musk, who said last week that he intended to buy Twitter for $44 billion after initially agreeing to do so in April but later trying to back out of the deal, has advocated for a modification of the permanent bans policy. This has led to a high-profile court struggle.
Twitter is "always examining the rules that govern our service and the tools and features that can encourage healthy conversation," a representative for the company said. Users who breach Twitter's rules "in a particularly egregious way" or have "repeatedly violated them even after receiving notifications from us" are subject to permanent suspensions.
Twitter's rules prohibit users from posting hate speech, terrorist threats, or other violent content. Twitter has a defined "strike" policy, according to which a permanent suspension is imposed after five offenses, such as spreading false information about Covid. In addition to banning accounts, Twitter also temporarily suspends accounts and flags or hides information that violates its rules.
Republicans, many of whom have complained about the apparent censoring of conservative views on social media sites, would welcome a shift away from permanent bans. Human rights advocates and several left-leaning politicians, on the other hand, have called on platforms to crack down more ruthlessly on the worst violators.
