Elon Musk to buy Twitter: will misinformation thrive?
April 26, 2022
VIDEOSGZERO World with Ian BremmerQuick TakePUPPET REGIMEIan ExplainsGZERO ReportsAsk IanGlobal Stage
Site Navigation
Search
Human content,
AI powered search.
Latest Stories
Sign up for GZERO Daily.
Get our latest updates and insights delivered to your inbox.
Global Stage AI for Good Summit
WATCH RECORDING
US Politics In 60 Seconds
Get insights on the latest news in US politics from Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington
Presented by
Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington, discusses the political impact of Elon Musk's plan to buyTwitter.
Why will Elon Musk be in a political hotspot if he buys Twitter?
The announcement that Twitter has agreed to be acquired by billionaire Elon Musk has set both the social media site and Washington political analysis ablaze. Liberals and conservatives both agree that Twitter is an essential town square, an important tool for political communication and outreach.
But liberals are concerned about policing hate speech and abuse, as well as misinformation on the platform, things they have criticized Twitter for in the past, while conservatives have criticized what they see as Twitter's overly aggressive content moderation policies that's resulted in the removal of several prominent conservative figures, including former President Trump from the platform, but has also resulted in the censorship of discussion around issues like the efficacy of mask mandates and stopping the spread of coronavirus, the potential origins of the pandemic in a Wuhan laboratory, and discussion about the contents of the laptop stolen from current President Biden's son. Musk has promised to be a free speech absolutist suggesting he will reinstate many of the banned accounts and not censor freewheeling speech about controversial topics online.
But one thing to watch is that Musk's approach is likely to create massive regulatory challenges for both Musk and the website, particularly in Europe, which has much stricter speech codes than the United States, requiring content moderation and banning things like hate speech. The EU just recently passed a law that would censor and fine companies that do not comply, and several high-ranking EU officials have already sent warnings to Musk that he must moderate illegal and harmful content online. Musk has developed a reputation as being an aggressive disruptor of the status quo in Washington, breaking into industries, such as space launch and broadband deployment, and he has also a long history of flouting US regulators, leading to sanctions from securities regulators, as well as admonishment from transportation safety and labor regulators in Washington, and this is unlikely to stop.
For his part, President Trump has said he doesn't want to get back on Twitter, but it seems likely that if Twitter lifts its ban on his account, the platform and the fundraising opportunities will be too great for him to ignore. Much like how Trump's tweets are too difficult for political journalists to ignore, setting up a stage for a return to the Trump-dominated political discourse that existed in the United States from 2015 until he was banned from Twitter in early 2021.
Keep reading...Show less
More from US Politics In 60 Seconds
How Biden’s presidency will be remembered
January 18, 2025
What Trump’s cabinet picks reveal so far
November 22, 2024
US election: GOP could win a Trump-led sweep
November 06, 2024
2024 US election: What to look out for
November 04, 2024
Defining Kamala Harris at DNC 2024
August 23, 2024
DNC unites around 3 key themes
August 22, 2024
Why Project 2025 is getting so much attention at the DNC
August 21, 2024
DNC Night 2: Obama set to rally support for Harris
August 20, 2024
What Tim Walz adds to Kamala Harris' campaign
August 06, 2024
With Biden out, can Kamala Harris defeat Trump?
July 21, 2024
RNC shows how Trump has transformed GOP
July 19, 2024
Trump's pick for VP: JD Vance
July 15, 2024
Will the Trump attack shift GOP approach at the RNC?
July 15, 2024
Why replacing Biden would be a challenge
June 28, 2024
Trump's VP pick: The short list
June 21, 2024
Trump has been found guilty. Will voters care?
May 30, 2024
Campus protests spill over into US political sphere
May 02, 2024
Trump's NYC hush-money trial: What to watch for
April 11, 2024
How Trump's money problems could affect the 2024 election
March 29, 2024
Biden's vigorous SOTU speech aims to prove doubters wrong
March 08, 2024
Why Mitch McConnell is stepping down
February 28, 2024
3 themes to watch as US election season begins
January 10, 2024
Ballot battle: Colorado vs Trump
December 20, 2023
What Democrats and Republicans have in common this Thanksgiving
November 22, 2023
Biden's 2024 prospects slip even as Democrats make gains
November 09, 2023
Meet Mike Johnson, US House Speaker & DC's most Googled person
October 26, 2023
Is Biden's embrace of Israel a political liability for him?
October 20, 2023
What's next after Kevin McCarthy's ouster?
October 03, 2023
The implications of Senator Feinstein's passing
September 29, 2023
US government shutdown: No end in sight
September 28, 2023
Mitt Romney will be defined by opposing Trump
September 14, 2023
No-show Trump wins first GOP debate
August 24, 2023
Trump skips debate
August 22, 2023
Will Trump's indictment in Georgia do him in?
August 16, 2023
Trump's uncertain future amid new indictments
July 28, 2023
Hunter Biden's legal issues are an opportunity for GOP
July 27, 2023
Threads, Twitter, & the 2024 US election
July 11, 2023
Why Mexico is a key issue in the 2024 US election
June 29, 2023
Timing on Trump's federal trial has huge implications
June 09, 2023
Biden & McCarthy both win in debt ceiling showdown
June 02, 2023
DeSantis' 2024 strategy: dominate the internet
May 24, 2023
Debt ceiling deal: long way to go in little time
May 18, 2023
2024 elections: Another likely Biden v Trump extravaganza
April 26, 2023
Subsidy game could hurt Canada-US relations
April 03, 2023
Hugely popular TikTok unlikely to be banned by US Congress
March 25, 2023
SVB political fallout ... not as dramatic as you think
March 16, 2023
Biden shifting to center ahead of 2024 reelection bid
March 08, 2023
Nikki Haley's in, but GOP primary remains Trump/DeSantis showdown
February 15, 2023
State of the Union a Biden 2024 campaign preview
February 08, 2023
Biden's "mini" document scandal could hurt his position with Dems
January 27, 2023
GOP partisanship could trigger first-ever US default
January 19, 2023
Five concessions McCarthy made to become House speaker
January 12, 2023
Speaker vote mess shows how ungovernable US House is
January 05, 2023
Zelensky tells Congress US aid is only path to war resolution
December 22, 2022
Zelensky in Washington for arms & aid, not just symbolic support
December 21, 2022
Independent Kyrsten Sinema won't change the US Senate
December 09, 2022
Warnock's Georgia victory: Dems control every Senate Committee
December 07, 2022
US Dems and GOP can be thankful this Thanksgiving
November 23, 2022
Will Trump’s 2024 candidacy sink Republicans?
November 16, 2022
GOP underperforms and Dems surprise in US midterms
November 09, 2022
US voters think GOP can fix the economy, but can they? Not likely
November 01, 2022
Will the 2022 midterms affect US support for Ukraine?
October 25, 2022
Reading the US midterm election tea leaves
October 18, 2022
Will US Congress change Social Security?
October 13, 2022
GOP wants immigration front and center in midterms
September 23, 2022
Have Republicans ruined their chances of taking the Senate?
September 14, 2022
NatCon 2022: Conservatives rethink foundations of the American right
September 13, 2022
Will the DOJ charge Trump after Mar-a-Lago raid?
August 31, 2022
Trump Mar-a-Lago affidavit: who accessed top secret documents?
August 26, 2022
$10,000 in student loan forgiveness: what's the point?
August 24, 2022
Closing tax loopholes: How US Congress will fund spending bill
August 05, 2022
Are we in a recession?
July 27, 2022
Climate emergency: limited Biden executive power
July 21, 2022
Are US politicians too old?
July 13, 2022
GZERO Series
Puppet Regime
Quick Take
ask ian
Ian Explains
GZERO Reports
GZERO Europe
The Debrief
Global Stage
© 2026 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group company.
GZERO Daily: our free newsletter about global politics
Keep up with what’s going on around the world - and why it matters.