Under the leadership of new CEO Linda Yaccarino, Twitter has suspended the account of online database provider PlainSite and its founder Aaron Greenspan. Greenspan is known for being a critic of Tesla and Elon Musk. At the time of suspension, the PlainSite account had over 24,000 followers, while Greenspan had around 2,500 followers.
This move comes despite Yaccarino's recent memo emphasizing the importance of freedom of speech and expressing that "You should have the freedom to speak your mind. We all should." It is noteworthy that Elon Musk himself had previously stated on Twitter that he hoped even his harshest critics would remain on the platform, as it represents the essence of free speech.
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PlainSite's focus on researching Tesla began in 2018, following the US Securities and Exchange Commission's civil securities fraud charges against Musk and Tesla. Greenspan stated that he became interested in Tesla's valuation after the regulatory action, as it indicated potential financial troubles for the company.
Since then, Greenspan has made court filings and other public records about Twitter and Tesla available on PlainSite. In February 2023, Musk filed a lawsuit against Greenspan for publishing their correspondence on Twitter and PlainSite.
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The suspension of PlainSite's account and Greenspan's account by Twitter raises questions about the platform's commitment to free speech and its handling of criticism directed towards high-profile individuals like Elon Musk. These actions highlight the challenges faced by social media platforms in balancing free expression with the need to enforce their policies and address legal concerns.
Inputs from IANS