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18 Apr, 2023

Trans advocates criticise Twitter policy change

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Trans advocates criticise Elon Musk for quietly removing a Twitter policy designed to protect transgender people from harassment. The policy previously forbade users of the social media network from deliberately “misgendering” (referring to someone using pronouns that do not reflect their gender identity) or “deadnaming” (calling a transgender person by the name they were given at birth, rather than the name and gender they now identify with) trans users. An archived version of Twitter’s policy indicates that the rule was scrubbed on April 8 without announcement. GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis:

Twitter’s decision to covertly roll back its longtime policy is the latest example of just how unsafe the company is for users and advertisers alike.

Trans rights group Human Rights Campaign:

This policy change makes Twitter more unsafe for trans and non-binary users and paves the way for outright discrimination. Twitter has an obligation to protect people on the platform, not expose them to hate and vitriol.

6 Apr, 2023

Twitter’s FTC lawyer resigns

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Christian Dowell, a top lawyer for Twitter who was responsible for substantially coordinating Twitter’s response to an investigation by Federal Trade Commission, submits his letter of resignation. The resignation comes in part due to the growing number of executive departures and intensifying legal woes facing the social media platform. It is unclear who will succeed Mr. Dowell in navigating Twitter through its FTC investigation and lawsuits concerning unpaid bills, services, and labor practices.

16 Feb, 2023

Appointed YMU Group chair

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Yaccarino is appointed Group Chair of YMU talent management agency. Yaccarino:

We all know great talent when we see it. Whether it’s on stage, on the field, in front of and behind the camera, on every platform—you name it—epic performances stick with us. And for decades, I’ve supported top talent by growing global brands alongside premium content. The Group represents some of the most exciting, elite level talent in the global culture space who are supported by an unparalleled, industry leading team of global experts. I’m looking forward to working with Mary and the exceptional YMU team to support their continued growth of individual’s brands on a global scale.

27 Jan, 2023

Musk meets Biden EV officials

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Musk meets with Podesta, Biden’s senior advisor for clean energy innovation, and Landrieu, who oversees infrastructure spending, in the building that houses Tesla’s Washington lobbying operation and the Center for American Progress, Podesta’s think tank.

John Podesta and Mitch Landrieu met with Elon Musk to discuss shared goals around electrification and how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act can advance electric vehicle production and charging as well as the broader cause of electrification

15 Dec, 2022

Twitter suspends @ElonJet account, Musk to take legal action

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Despite earlier vowing to allow the account that tracks his private jet to continue on Twitter, Musk bans the @elonjet account and says he will take legal action against Jack Sweeney, the accounts owner. Musk had previously offered Sweeney $5000 to delete the account.

Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info. Posting locations someone traveled to on a slightly delayed basis isn’t a safety problem, so is ok. Last night, car carrying lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving & climbed onto hood. Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to my family.

For hours after the suspension of the @elonjet account, other Sweeney-run accounts tracking private jets used by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and various Russian oligarchs were still live on Twitter. But by later on Wednesday, Twitter suspended all of them, including Sweeney’s personal account of Jack Sweeney. Twitter’s Help Center tweeted an updated media policy that begins: “You may not publish or post other people’s private information without their express authorization and permission.”

13 Dec, 2022

Twitter dissolves Trust and Safety Council

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Twitter dissolves its Trust and Safety Council, the advisory group of nearly 100 independent civil, human rights and other organisations which had been formed by the company in 2016 to address hate speech, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform. Twitter informed the group via email shortly before a meeting, scheduled for the night of Dec 13, was to take place, that it was disbanding it. Last week, three council members resigned. Email:

Our work to make Twitter a safe, informative place will be moving faster and more aggressively than ever before, and we will continue to welcome your ideas going forward about how to achieve this goal.

9 Dec, 2022

Elton John quits Twitter, Musk responds

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John says he is leaving Twitter:

All my life I’ve tried to use music to bring people together. Yet it saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world.   I’ve decided to no longer use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked.

Musk responds:

I love your music. Hope you come back. Is there any misinformation in particular that you’re concerned about?

6 Dec, 2022

Musk fires Baker for vetting Twitter Files

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Musk fires Baker, Twitter’s deputy general counsel, over concerns he tried to suppress information about the social media platform’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop controversy. Baker was involved in discussions about whether the laptop falls under Twitter’s “hacked materials” policy. In one of the Twitter files’ emails Baker wrote:

I support the conclusion that we need more facts to assess whether the materials were hacked. At this stage, however, it’s reasonable for us to assume that they may have been and that caution is warranted.

Matt Taibbi, the journalist releasing Twitter’s files, said that he and another journalist, Bari Weiss, were dealing “with obstacles to new searches” when Weiss discovered that Baker had vetted the first batch of “Twitter Files” – without knowledge of new management.

Over the weekend, while we both dealt with obstacles to new searches, it was @BariWeiss who discovered that the person in charge of releasing the files was someone named Jim. When she called to ask “Jim’s” last name, the answer came back: “Jim Baker.” “My jaw hit the floor,” says Weiss

Musk said Baker, had offered an “unconvincing” explanation for his actions when confronted.

In light of concerns about Baker’s possible role in suppression of information important to the public dialogue, he was exited from Twitter today…His explanation was …unconvincing.

2 Dec, 2022

Musk, Macron meet

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Macron and Musk meet in New Orleans, where they discuss environmental issues and freedom of speech. Macron:

I’ll say it here, on Twitter, because it’s all about the blue bird. This afternoon I met with @elonmusk and we had a clear and honest discussion: Transparent user policies, significant reinforcement of content moderation and protection of freedom of speech: efforts have to be made by Twitter to comply with European regulations. Elon Musk confirmed the Twitter’s participation to the Christchurch Call. There is no place for terrorist and violent extremist content anywhere. We will work with Twitter to improve online child protection. Elon Musk confirmed it to me today. Let’s better protect our children online !

Musk bans West from Twitter: ‘I tried my best’

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After West posts an image of a swastika inside a Star of David…

…and an image of Musk half- naked, Musk says that the latter is fine, but the swastika/star ‘is not’ and that West will be suspended for ‘incitement to violence’

I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.

West then posted a screenshot of his Twitter ban message on TruthSocial. Musk appeared to comment on the ban by later posting:

FAFO [F*ck around, find out]

28 Nov, 2022

Musk: Apple is threatening Twitter’s presence on the App Store

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After Musk publishes a poll, asking if Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers…

…a Twitter user asks if Apple is threatening Twitter’s presence in the App Store or otherwise making moderation demands? Musk:

Yes

Musk then directly tweets that Apple has threatened to withhold Twitter from its App store:

Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why

When a Twitter user points out that 97.5% of Apple’s political donations were to the Democratic Party, Musk replies:

Wow, they don’t sound biased at all!

21 Nov, 2022

Musk invokes first child’s death for not restoring Jones’ Twitter account

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Musk refuses to restore Jones’ Twitter account saying:

He later elaborates:

My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.

18 Nov, 2022

Musk reinstates Peterson, Griffin & The Babylon Bee

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As part of of a thread talking about free speech at Twitter, Musk says:

Kathie Griffin (sic), Jorden Peterson & Babylon Bee have been reinstated. Trump decision has not yet been made.

Griffin responds on Instagram, by misspelling Musk’s name:

Dear Eilon, You f**ked up, fool. I’m going downstairs to my basement of heads. You’re up. Xxoo, The Beheader

Peterson says:

7 Nov, 2022

Twitter bans Griffin for impersonating Musk

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After Musk announced an immediate ban on accounts pretending to be someone else without flagging them as parodies…

Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended.

…the company banned Griffin, who had tweeted about the midterm elections under Musk’s name. Musk said Griffin had been removed for “impersonating a comedian” but could have her account back for $8.

Griffin responded on Mastodon, a rival network:

I guess not ALL the content moderators were let go? Lol

28 Oct, 2022

Musk fires Gadde

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Musk fires Gadde, Twitter’s head of Legal & Policy. Gadde banned Donald Trump from Twitter in January 21.

1 Oct, 2022

Musk offers Starlink satellites to Florida

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Florida Governor DeSantis says Musk has agreed to provide Starlink to help in response to Hurricane Ian in areas of Southwest Florida still without power and internet after the superstorm. SpaceX plans to send 120 “large Starlink units” to Florida, which will serve as satellite dishes to distribute internet connections to devices within a 13-mile radius. Use by search and rescue crews will be prioritized. Starlink is covering all costs. DeSantis:

We are working with Elon Musk and Starlink satellite. They are positioning those Starlink satellites to provide good coverage in Southwest Florida and other affected areas.

19 Jan, 2022

Writes Glasgow Times article

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Sturgeon writes an article for The Glasgow Times, in which she talks about the lifting of Covid restrictions, Boris Johnson and period poverty.

We are all fed up with Covid. We yearn to put the last two years of the pandemic firmly behind us and get back to normal life – and I certainly hope that this time next year we’ll be looking at Covid in the rear view mirror.

Whilst the Prime Minister struggles with his attempts to cover up the culture of sleaze and corruption in Downing Street, the Scottish Government will continue getting on with the job of government and implementing policies that are deigned to make life better and easier for those who live here. Just one example of such an approach is our ground breaking action to tackle period poverty and remove any lingering stigma associated with periods, by providing sanitary items free of charge across our communities.

19 Nov, 2021

Reveals ovarian cancer diagnosis from hospital

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In a Twitter post, Godley says that she is being treated for ovarian cancer after being diagnosed the previous day

I’m really sorry I can’t make the Musselburgh and Edinburgh shows this weekend, it’s the very last dates of the tour and the tour has been so brilliant and so well attended and successful. Unfortunately while I was doing the tour I, unbeknownst to me, had ovarian cancer. I want to thank everyone for all their support and all their help and for coming out and sharing so much laughter with me. Onto the next step of the journey, and what is that journey? I don’t know if I’m going to be one of these people who battle bravely and fight every step, I don’t know, that doesn’t feel how I’ve been the last day where I’ve done nothing but cry and cry and cry. But I’m going to use science, and technology and I’m going to try and cope with this next step of my journey.

9 Sep, 2021

Dropped from COVID ad campaign

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Godley is dropped from The Scottish Government’s ‘Let’s Stop The Spike’ ad campaign.

A series of unacceptable tweets by Janey Godley have been brought to our attention and, while she has rightly apologised, trust in our public health messages at this time is paramount. We have therefore taken the decision to withdraw any further campaign material in which Ms Godley features. The material will be discontinued immediately on our own channels and withdrawn as soon as possible from external media.

https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=369321734740168