Musk Lifts Journalists' Twitter Suspension

Elon Musk said on Saturday he will reinstate the Twitter accounts of several journalists that were suspended in a controversy over publishing public data about the billionaire' s plane.

The people have spoken.

Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now. https://t.co/MFdXbEQFCe

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022

The move to lift the bans early Saturday came after Musk faced a firestorm of criticism from prominent political figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, for suspending the accounts.

The NY Post reports the Twitter CEO said he allowed the users back on the platform based on the results of a 24-hour Twitter survey that he posted Thursday night where he asked if the accounts should be reinstated immediately or in seven days. More than 58% of voters urged him to unsuspend the journalists “now.”

“The people have spoken,” Musk tweeted at 12:18 a.m. Saturday. “Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now.”

New York Times reporter Ryan Mac, CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, The Washington Post’s Drew Harwell and other journalist’s accounts were reinstated after Musk made the announcement.

“I want to thank everyone for all the support and kind words over the past day and some change,” said independent journalist Aaron Rupar, one of those who had been suspended.

In a series of tweets Friday night, Twitter said it had identified several policies where permanent suspension was a “disproportionate” action for breaking rules.

The company said reinstated accounts still need to comply with its rules. “Permanent suspension remains an enforcement action for serious violations,” it said.

Elon Musk, Twitter’s billionaire owner, tweeted separately that accounts which he alleges had shared details on his personal location “will have their suspension lifted now”, following a poll held by the social-media site.

Earlier this week, the social network suspended the accounts of several prominent journalists — including from the Washington Post, CNN, and the New York Times — covering Musk, who alleged they were endangering his family.