{"id":1472634,"date":"2022-05-12T08:16:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T12:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1472634"},"modified":"2022-05-12T08:16:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T12:16:50","slug":"elon-musk-can-use-the-first-amendment-to-make-twitter-open-to-free-speech-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-can-use-the-first-amendment-to-make-twitter-open-to-free-speech-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Elon Musk Can Use The First Amendment To Make Twitter Open To Free Speech Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Felon-musk-can-use-the-first-amendment-to-make-twitter-open-to-free-speech-again%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1472634&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1st-a-scaled-e1652289619792.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Edit buttons, open-source algorithms, long-form tweets, and stopping scam bots are just some of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/what-elon-musk-would-do-with-twitter-11650200403\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">modifications<\/a>\u00a0Elon Musk suggested he would implement in the run-up to his successful bid to buy Twitter. All of those sound like interesting ideas.<\/p>\n<p>But none of them will directly improve the prospects for free and open dialogue on the platform, which appear to be Musk\u2019s overarching reason for buying the company. As he has rightly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/exclusive-twitter-set-accept-musks-best-final-offer-sources-2022-04-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, \u201cFree speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Musk also recently <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1519036983137509376\">tweeted<\/a>, \u201cBy \u2018free speech,\u2019 I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.\u201d He is on the right track. Twitter should do what \u201cmatches the law\u201d by modeling its policies after First Amendment standards.<\/p>\n<p>Musk\u2019s commitment is a breath of fresh air for those who value free speech. He seems to comprehend that free speech is essential to preserving a free society, and that social media has replaced the physical town square as the primary place for debate and expression.<\/p>\n<p>So how should Musk practically implement his promise to improve free speech on Twitter? He should revise the platform\u2019s policies based on the lessons of First Amendment case law \u2014 the world\u2019s richest repository of practical wisdom on protecting free speech. <\/p>\n<p>As a private company, Twitter is not legally obligated to follow the Constitution as a government actor would be. Nevertheless, the First Amendment\u2019s\u00a0<em>legal<\/em>\u00a0protections are valuable guidelines for how private actors can help create a\u00a0<em>culture<\/em>\u00a0of free speech.<\/p>\n<p>Here are two actions he can take that will directly improve the prospects for free and open debate and dialogue on the platform: One, eliminate private \u201cspeech codes\u201d \u2014 policies that contain vague and imprecise terms that threaten free speech. Two, adopt a robust anti-censorship policy.<\/p>\n<h2>Step One: Eliminate Private Speech Codes<\/h2>\n<p>What are speech codes? They are rules that control the content of what people can or can\u2019t say. In addition, these regulations commonly contain unclear and imprecise terms that give enforcement officials unbridled discretion to censor speech they don\u2019t like. <\/p>\n<p>In the First Amendment context, courts routinely strike down government speech codes because of the plain threat they pose to free speech. Unfortunately, these types of policies now proliferate on private social media platforms, including Twitter, and significantly contribute to the censorship problem in the digital public square.<\/p>\n<p>Musk can spot speech codes by looking for vague or imprecise language \u2014 two tell-tale signs of looming censorship. One basic guideline on how to spot these problematic terms is to look for vague terms. <\/p>\n<p>A term is vague if it (1) forces an individual of ordinary intelligence to guess at what it means, or (2) invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement due to a grant of unfettered discretion or lack of objective standards. Terms that lack clarity and grant broad discretionary powers to those in control threaten free speech because officials can use them to suppress whichever viewpoint they disfavor.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing to look for is imprecise terms: A term is imprecise if it fails to narrowly target the specific harmful activity it is designed to prohibit. Imprecise terms imperil free speech because they reach beyond the harmful activity they purport to target and instead censor and chill speech.<\/p>\n<h2>Unclear Terms Allow Censorship<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHate speech,\u201d \u201chateful conduct,\u201d \u201cmisinformation,\u201d and \u201cdisinformation\u201d are some of the most common terms in speech codes. They are also notoriously unclear and imprecise. Twitter has numerous policies containing these terms. Each of these terms is a threat to free speech because they can be wielded to silence any viewpoints those in authority choose.<\/p>\n<p>Take, for example, how these policies affect the free exchange of ideas on the ongoing national debate over gender ideology and its effects on female athletics, privacy, religious freedom, and free speech. This issue is, borrowing from Musk\u2019s words, a \u201cmatter vital to the future of humanity.\u201d Yet time and again, Twitter\u2019s policies have hampered the freedom of people to freely discuss this critical issue.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, Twitter has wielded its \u201chateful conduct\u201d policy to censor or deplatform users on one side of this debate. Among other things,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/help.twitter.com\/en\/rules-and-policies\/hateful-conduct-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that policy<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cYou may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.\u201d It also bars \u201ctargeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Prohibiting \u201chateful\u00a0<em>conduct<\/em>\u201d or \u201ctargeted harassment\u201d is a noble objective. But, as applied to speech, Twitter\u2019s speech code allows for disproportionate application and censorship. And that\u2019s exactly what has happened.<\/p>\n<h2>Just Look at Twitter\u2019s Recent History<\/h2>\n<p>For example, in late January 2021, Twitter\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/christian-organization-suspended-from-twitter-after-calling-dr-rachel-levine-a-man-who-believes-he-is-a-woman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">locked out<\/a>\u00a0The Daily Citizen, a Christian news outlet, from its account for stating that one of President Joe Biden\u2019s nominees is a man who identifies as a woman. The full tweet said: \u201cOn Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he had chosen Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of HHS. Dr. Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tweet linked to an article on The Daily Citizen\u2019s website. This tweet addressed a matter of dramatic importance \u2014 whether identifying as a woman is what makes a person a woman \u2014 and expressed the position that many reasonable people hold: that identity is not the only thing that makes someone a man or a woman. <\/p>\n<p>The tweet neither expressed any hatred nor encouraged any violence toward Levine. Nevertheless, Twitter informed The Daily Citizen that the tweet violated its \u201chateful conduct\u201d policy because it \u201cpromoted violence, threatened, or harassed\u201d Levine. Twitter denied The Daily Citizen\u2019s appeal and imposed a four-month ban.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, The Federalist\u2019s Senior Editor John Daniel Davidson was locked out of his Twitter account for saying Levine was a man. Twitter refuses to unlock Davidson\u2019s account unless he deletes the offending tweet, a common practice Twitter applies disproportionately to conservative commentators.<\/p>\n<h2>Bans on Transgender Discussion<\/h2>\n<p>Similarly, during the 2021 summer Olympics, Twitter banned several commentators for questioning Olympic rules that permit males to compete in women\u2019s categories. For example, when New Zealand transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard exited the competition after failing all three attempts, Allie Beth Stuckey\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/twitter-suspends-conservative-pundit-allie-beth-stuckey-for-stating-that-transgender-weightlifter-is-a-man\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cLaura [sic] Hubbard failing at the event doesn\u2019t make his inclusion fair. He\u2019s still a man, and men shouldn\u2019t compete against women in weightlifting.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In response to Stuckey\u2019s 12-hour ban, Erick Erickson\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2021\/aug\/7\/erick-erickson-suspended-twitter-laurel-hubbard-ma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>, \u201cThis is absurd. Laurel Hubbard is a man even if Twitter doesn\u2019t like it.\u201d He also received a 12-hour ban. Both times, Twitter invoked its \u201chateful conduct\u201d policy.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, Twitter has censored\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/21\/twitter-suspends-babylon-bee-over-rachel-levine-man-of-the-year-title\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Babylon Bee<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/01\/abuse-censorship-twitter-suspends-republican-vicky-hartzler-tweet-transgender\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler<\/a>\u00a0for expressing their views on gender identity ideology and its impact on women. These examples of viewpoint discrimination against high-profile users only scratch the surface of the distortion Twitter\u2019s \u201chateful conduct\u201d speech code does to Twitter\u2019s \u201ctown square\u201d in cyberspace.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Misinformation\u2019 Policies Restrict Speech<\/h2>\n<p>The same free speech threats spring from policies barring so-called \u201cmisinformation\u201d and \u201cdisinformation,\u201d which have both been wielded to silence ongoing conversations about public health, gender identity ideology, voting integrity, and more. For example,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/help.twitter.com\/en\/rules-and-policies\/coordinated-harmful-activity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one current Twitter policy defines \u201cinformational harm\u201d<\/a>\u00a0as follows: \u201cHarm that adversely impacts the ability for an individual to access information fundamental to exercising their rights, or that significantly disrupts the stability and\/or safety of a social group or society including medical mis-information i.e. COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to imagine policy language that grants more discretion to restrict speech than the terms of this policy. There are no standards at all. The policy will inevitably be enforced based solely on Twitter employees\u2019 subjective judgments about which views \u201cimpact the ability of a person to access information,\u201d or \u201csignificantly disrupts the stability of society.\u201d Those who control access to a speech forum, and what you are allowed to say, have no business wielding this kind of unchecked power over the exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Twitter\u2019s current policies fail to appreciate a critical First Amendment maxim: The answer to speech you don\u2019t like is more speech, not censorship. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis wrote in a 1927\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/274\/357\/#tab-opinion-1931857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decision<\/a>, \u201cIf there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, Musk appears fully cognizant of Twitter\u2019s policies\u2019 propensity to squelch free speech. He seems motivated to make good on Twitter\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/help.twitter.com\/en\/rules-and-policies\/hateful-conduct-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">promise<\/a>\u00a0\u201cto give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information, and to express their opinions and beliefs without barriers.\u201d To do so, he must eliminate Twitter\u2019s speech codes, starting with the policies outlined above. Any essential limits on content should be shaped with surgical precision to give users clear notice of the boundaries and prevent employees\u2019 biases from infecting their enforcement decisions.<\/p>\n<h2>Step Two: Adopt an Anti-censorship Policy<\/h2>\n<p>Musk should take one additional step to restore free speech on Twitter. He should adopt a policy that bars censorship and expressly states that it will not enforce any of its policies in a manner that restricts the free exchange of ideas. By doing so, he will provide his content moderation team a workable roadmap to implement his guiding free speech principles across the enterprise.<\/p>\n<p>Here is model language Musk should consider for a new free speech policy:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Twitter does not discriminate against users,\u00a0censor users or a user\u2019s expression, or interfere with users\u2019 ability to receive the expression of another based on the viewpoint of the user or another person,\u00a0regardless of whether the viewpoint is expressed on the platform or through another medium.<\/p>\n<p>No Twitter policies will be enforced in a manner that restricts expression on matters of public concern because of the expression\u2019s viewpoint, even when some may find the expression offensive, hurtful, misguided, upsetting, or otherwise objectionable.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>By following the steps outlined above, Musk can make important strides toward realizing his goal of aligning Twitter\u2019s policies with First Amendment free speech protections.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">\n  Jeremy Tedesco is senior counsel, senior vice president of corporate engagement for <a href=\"https:\/\/adflegal.org\/?utm_source=thefederalist&#038;utm_medium=oped%E2%80%9C\">Alliance Defending Freedom<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Edit buttons, open-source algorithms, long-form tweets, and stopping scam bots are just some of the\u00a0modifications\u00a0Elon Musk suggested he would implement in the run-up to his successful bid to buy Twitter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":775,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1472634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/775"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1472634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1472634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1472634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1472634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}