A picture of latest Twitter owner Elon Musk is seen surrounded by Twitter logos on this photo illustration in Warsaw, Poland on 08 November, 2022.
STR | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Twitter suspended several high-profile journalists Thursday evening who’ve been covering the corporate and Elon Musk. Some messages indicated the accounts were “permanently suspended.”
The suspensions come a day after Twitter modified its policies around accounts that track private jets, including one owned by Elon Musk.
The accounts of Ryan Mac of The Latest York Times, Donie O’Sullivan of CNN, Drew Harwell of The Washington Post, Matt Binder of Mashable, Micah Lee of The Intercept, Steve Herman of Voice of America and independent journalists Aaron Rupar, Keith Olbermann and Tony Webster had all been suspended as of Thursday evening.
The Twitter account for Mastodon, a platform billed instead, was also suspended early Thursday evening.
Musk indicated that the suspensions stemmed from the platform’s recent rules banning private jet trackers, responding to a tweet from Mike Solana, vice chairman of enterprise capital firm Founders Fund, who noted that the suspended accounts had posted links to jet trackers on other web sites.
“Criticizing me all day long is completely wonderful, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family shouldn’t be,” he added in one other tweet.
In early November, shortly after taking control of Twitter, Musk tweeted that he wouldn’t ban the account that tracked his jet.
It was not immediately clear why the accounts were suspended, though some had been tweeting in regards to the suspension of the Twitter account that tracked Musk’s jet, @ElonJet, and its availability on Mastodon.
As of Thursday evening, Twitter accounts operated by NBC News journalists were unable to tweet any link to Mastodon pages.
A spokesperson for The Latest York Times who called the suspensions questionable and unlucky said that no explanation was provided to Mac or the news organization in regards to the ban.
“We hope that each one of the journalists’ accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this motion,” said Charlie Stadtlander, communications director for the Times.
Lee said in a text message that before the suspension he had attempted to tweet out a link to the Mastodon account that tracked Musk’s jet but was unable to and as a substitute tweeted a screenshot.
Rupar wrote on Substack that his account was permanently suspended but that he had no other information.
“I have not heard anything from Twitter in any respect,” he wrote.
He noted that he had tweeted a link Wednesday to a Facebook page that tracked Musk’s jet.
A spokesperson for CNN said the suspensions were “impulsive and unjustified” — but not surprising.
“Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility must be of incredible concern for everybody who uses Twitter,” the network said in a press release. “We’ve got asked Twitter for an evidence, and we are going to reevaluate our relationship based on that response.”
Binder, a tech reporter at Mashable, said he was suspended after tweeting a screenshot from one other suspended reporter, CNN’s O’Sullivan, of an LAPD statement.
“I have been on it since 2008. I never got a lot as a slap on the wrist because I at all times follow the principles,” Binder said. “It is not hard to do when you already know what the principles are.”
Binder said his account notified him that he’s permanently suspended.
“That is the very stuff that he’s criticized the previous Twitter of doing,” Binder said of Musk.
Musk tweeted Wednesday evening: “Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will likely be suspended, because it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info.”
Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., tweeted that she had met with Twitter representatives on Thursday who said the corporate wouldn’t take motion against journalists who criticize the platform.
“Lower than 12 hours later, multiple technology reporters have been suspended. What is the deal, @elonmusk?” Trahan added.
The suspensions come as Musk has backtracked on his promise that he would run Twitter as a free speech absolutist, reinstating accounts related to the QAnon movement and other far-right groups while banning others.
Internally, he has removed critics of his policies from the corporate.
The suspensions add to what has been a tumultuous couple of days for Twitter after the corporate first suspended the account that tracked Musk’s jet.
Musk appeared to threaten legal motion against its creator, Jack Sweeney, a 20-year-old Florida college student, after Musk claimed a “stalker” confronted a automotive carrying his child in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Musk provided no proof that Sweeney or his account was involved. He didn’t provide a time or location within the sprawling metropolitan area where the claimed incident occurred.
Sweeney told NBC News on Wednesday that he hasn’t received any notification of legal motion, and the last time his bot tweeted anything was Dec. 12, “which shouldn’t be last night, so I do not get how that is connected.”
The Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday that no police reports had been filed.
“LAPD’s Threat Management Unit is aware of the situation and tweet by Elon Musk and is involved together with his representatives and security team. No crime reports have been filed yet,” Officer Lizeth Loeni, a police public information officer, said in a press release Thursday evening.
There are other law enforcement departments that also cover parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
This can be a developing story. Please check back for updates.
