Elon Musk says Kanye West’s account was restored prior to his $44 billion takeover of the social media company.
The rapper, now known as Ye, was restricted from Twitter on October 9 and barred from Meta’s Instagram last month, and the platforms removed some of his online posts that users condemned as anti-Semitic.
Restricted accounts cannot post or interact on Twitter, as opposed to suspended accounts which are entirely removed.
While it was highly reported that Kanye’s Twitter was back in his hands following Musk’s takeover, the Tesla CEO said that it was not his decision.
‘Ye’s account was restored by Twitter before the acquisition,’ Musk tweeted on Friday.’They did not consult with or inform me.’
Elon Musk, a free-speech absolutist, has said that he did not greenlight any decision on West’s account, and that any changes were made by Twitter staff
Musk said that he will be forming a ‘diverse’ content moderation council to make decisions about content and whose account can get reinstated
Musk took ownership of Twitter with brutal efficiency on Thursday, but providing little clarity over how he will achieve the ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.
Musk, however, has been vocal in criticizing Twitter’s suspension policies, vowing to restore the accounts of prominent figures.
Among the big names booted from Twitter include Donald Trump, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon and US Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The world’s richest man tweeted on Friday that ‘no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen,’ without the approval of a new content moderation council that has ‘widely diverse viewpoints.’
Celebrating his purchase of the company and new changes set to roll out, Musk tweeted: ‘The bird is freed,’ and ‘let the good times roll.’
Kanye West has returned to Twitter after Elon Musk took control of the platform following the completion of his $44billion takeover deal
anti-Semitic tweets made the rapper remain deleted on his profile page (above)
Elon Musk, pictured carrying a sink inside Twitter’s office earlier this week, has called Kanye his friend and said he spoke to the troubled rapper this month about his rants
Musk celebrated his Twitter takeover on Friday, saying that the platform would be freed under his rule following his criticisms over its suspension policies
On October 8, Musk previously tweeted ‘Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!’ when Ye posted on the platform for the first time in two years after his Instagram account was restricted.
The world’s richest man also noted that he spoke with West following his initial set of anti-Semitic rants.
‘Talked to ye today & expressed my concerns about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart,’ Musk wrote on Twitter.
The talk didn’t appear to do much as West continued his anti-Semitic behavior.
West, who has over 30 million followers on Twitter, has courted controversy in recent months by publicly ending major corporate tie-ups and making outbursts on social media against other celebrities.
Earlier in October, Ye agreed on principle to Buy Moneylion Bank Account – VCCGet.Com Parler, the social media platform popular among U.S.conservatives.
Now many are distancing themselves from the rapper, including his lawyers, and business partnerships with Balenciaga, Creative Artists Agency, TJ Maxx, Gap Footlocker and Adidas.
Musk, also the Tesla Inc CEO and a self-described free speech absolutist, has laid out goals to prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division.
He has also said he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former U.S.President Donald Trump, whose account was removed after the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on Friday said he was happy Twitter was in ‘sane hands.’
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week he changed his Twitter profile to ‘Chief Twit’ and filmed himself walking into the company’s San Francisco headquarters.’Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in,’ he wrote in a post.
Conservative figures who were banned from the platform now hope that his stated commitment to free speech will allow them to return.
That could be a blow to a rash of Twitter clones catering to the far right, such as Trump’s own Truth Social.
While welcoming Musk to Twitter, Trump used his post to claim extraordinary success for his own social media effort.
‘Truth Social has become somewhat of a phenomena.Last week it had bigger numbers than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest,’ he said, without citing any evidence.
‘It also looks and works better to my eye.’
Musk is expected to bring back the Twitter account of former President Donald Trump after he was kicked off the site for posts made after the January 6 Capitol riot.The two are pictured here at the Oval Office of the White House
In his statement, Trump both welcomed Musk’s arrival at Twitter while trying to boost the fortunes of his own social media
Among those expected to be brought back to Twitter under Musk include former Trump advisers Roger Stone (left) and Steve Bannon (right)
Others who could see a return to the platform include Trump’s former campaign adviser Roger Stone, who has said he wants to come back after being banned in 2017 for attacking a journalist.
Stone was briefly back on Twitter in April using an alternate account as he said he was ‘anxious to see how strong Elon Musk’s commitment to free speech is.’
Steve Bannon is another former Trump adviser looking to return to the platform after being kicked out in 2020.
The former White House chief strategist had posted a video suggesting Dr.Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.
One of the more controversial figures to be booted from the platform is InfoWars host Alex Jones, who was ordered to pay $95 million in damages over false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Families of the victims branded Jones a conspiracy theorist whose claims have caused years of harassment and even death threats from his believers.
U.S.Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene also saw her personal account permanently suspended earlier this year after spreading COVID vaccine misinformation.
The congresswoman had received multiple warnings before her account was pulled.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-9d5555d0-56dd-11ed-83e5-b954874dd672" website says Kanye's account was restored BEFORE his $44billion takeover