(FILES) This file photograph taken on October 12, 2021, reveals the brand of US social community Twitter on a smartphone display in Moscow. Inventory markets had been comparatively subdued on April 4, 2022, whereas oil costs rose as Western nations eyed extra sanctions on Russia, however Twitter stood out as its shares soared after Elon Musk bought a significant stake within the social community. (Photograph by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif — Twitter on Friday banned adverts that deny the truth of local weather change.
Twitter’s announcement on Earth Day got here because it tries to fend off an undesirable takeover bid by billionaire Elon Musk, who has mentioned he thinks folks ought to be capable to say just about no matter they need on the platform.
“Deceptive commercials on Twitter that contradict the scientific consensus on local weather change are prohibited, according to our inappropriate content material coverage,” Twitter international sustainability supervisor Casey Junod mentioned in a weblog submit.
“We consider that local weather denialism shouldn’t be monetized on Twitter, and that misrepresentative adverts shouldn’t detract from vital conversations concerning the local weather disaster.”
Twitter final yr launched a Matter characteristic to assist customers discover conversations about local weather change, and rolled out hubs of “credible, authoritative” info on an array of high-profile subjects together with the science backing local weather change.
“We acknowledge that deceptive details about local weather change can undermine efforts to guard the planet,” Junod mentioned.
“Now greater than ever, significant local weather motion, from all of us, is important.”
As tempting as entry to Musk’s wealth could also be, Twitter shouldn’t be wanting to be dominated by a billionaire recognized for taking pictures from the hip with little regard for the implications.
The worldwide one-to-many messaging platform is shifting to stop Musk from getting his arms on all of Twitter’s excellent shares, signaling that worries about the place he would lead the corporate outweigh the proffered payoff.
Earlier this month Musk, the world’s richest individual and a controversial and frequent person of Twitter himself, made an unsolicited bid of $43 billion for the social media community, citing higher freedom of speech as a motivation.
Musk advocates a hands-off method to policing content material, a thorny matter significantly in high-profile instances comparable to that of former US president Donald Trump, who was banned after the assault on the Capitol by his supporters as they sought to overturn the US election consequence final yr.
However the polarizing Tesla CEO’s marketing campaign has additionally sparked concern amongst know-how and free-speech consultants who level to Musk’s unpredictable statements and historical past of bullying critics, which contradict his acknowledged goals.
Twitter’s board opted to make use of a “poison tablet” protection, underneath which any acquisition of over 15 % of the agency’s inventory with out its OK would set off a plan to flood the market with shares and thus make a buyout a lot tougher.
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