Musk's clear cut on Twitter is now also worrying the United Nations. Almost all experts on human rights and ethics are among the mass dismissals - the UN fears open doors for fake news and hate speech. Ex-Twitter boss Dorsey meanwhile apologizes to the employees.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk has criticized the new Twitter owner Elon Musk in an open letter and warned that the global platform should be operated responsibly. Reports that almost all human rights and ethics experts on Twitter were fired this week are "not an encouraging start" to Musk's era on Twitter, High Commissioner Türk wrote to the technology billionaire.
"Twitter is part of a global revolution that has revolutionized the way we communicate. But I write with concern and unease about our digital public and the role Twitter is playing in it," Turk wrote. Under Musk's leadership, human rights must play a central role in the company, the Austrian UN diplomat demanded. Twitter should continue to take responsibility to fight disinformation and hate speech.
Türk reminded that hatred on the internet and false information about corona vaccinations had already caused concrete damage. At the same time, Twitter must also protect free speech from governments that want to restrict that right, he wrote. On the one hand, Musk has emphasized that the platform's content rules still apply. On the other hand, he has repeatedly criticized a lack of freedom of speech on Twitter.
A week after the takeover by the multi-billionaire, Twitter laid off around half of its 7,500 employees on Friday. Co-founder and former boss Jack Dorsey has now apologized to employees. "I realize a lot of people are mad at me," Dorsey wrote on Twitter. He is responsible for the fact that the Twitter employees are now in this situation: "I let the company grow too quickly. I apologize for that."
The people on Twitter are "strong and resilient," Dorsey wrote about the layoffs. They would find a way, even if the situation might be difficult at the moment. Dorsey co-founded the company in 2006 and stepped down as CEO last year. In the spring he also withdrew from the supervisory board.
