Twitter blocking of journalists: Guterres reacts “very disturbed”

Concern and criticism after the blocking of several journalist accounts on Twitter: UN Secretary-General Guterres described the step as arbitrary. The EU threatened Musk with sanctions. The federal government is also examining the consequences.

The blocking of several journalist accounts by Twitter has triggered international criticism. “Very disturbed,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The European Union, the federal government and the organization Reporters Without Borders also expressed concern about the events.

The “arbitrary” move sets a “dangerous precedent” at a time when journalists around the world are facing “censorship, physical danger and even worse,” Guterres said through his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. Media should not be “silenced on a platform that proclaims itself a space for free speech,” Guterres said.

EU threatens Musk with sanctions

The EU threatened Elon Musk, the owner of the platform, with sanctions. “The news of the arbitrary suspension of journalists is worrying,” said EU Vice-President Vera Jourova on Twitter.

She referred to the law on digital services, which provides for respect for media freedom and fundamental rights. It was passed by the EU Parliament last year and is intended to regulate the very large online companies in the EU more closely. The law on digital services will be reinforced by an EU law on freedom of the media.

Musk should be aware of this, Jourova explained further: “There are red lines and sanctions coming soon.”

Federal government: “We are monitoring this very closely”

The federal government has also criticized the blocking of journalist accounts. The deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said on Friday in Berlin that people are taking note of what is happening on Twitter with growing concern. “We are observing this very closely and asking ourselves what consequences we could draw from it.”

The Foreign Office tweeted on Friday: “Press freedom must not be switched on and off at will.” The blocked journalists could no longer follow the Foreign Office, comment or criticize it. “We have a problem with that @Twitter,” it said.

A spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office said: “From our point of view, freedom of the press is an extremely valuable asset, and it must be defended when it is questioned, whether by states or by private actors.”

The journalist organization Reporters Without Borders described Musk’s actions as a “disaster for information rights” and warned of a “great danger to democracy”.

Accounts blocked by several journalists

Twitter had previously blocked the accounts of several journalists who had reported on the US company and its new boss, Musk. More than half a dozen media workers were affected. Twitter gave no reason for the suspensions. Those affected work for renowned US media such as CNN, the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post”.

The reporters were told they had violated Twitter’s policies. The sudden suspension of reporters followed Musk’s decision on Wednesday to permanently ban an account that had been using publicly available data to track his private jet’s flights. The flight details are publicly available and can also be obtained from a number of websites.

Musk: The same ‘doxxing’ rules apply to journalists

Twitter also changed platform rules on Wednesday to ban the sharing of someone’s current location data without their consent. Several of the reporters whose accounts were banned had reported on this new policy and Musk’s rationale for it. This included allegations by Musk about a stalking incident involving his family in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Twitter boss Musk wrote in tweets: The same ‘doxxing’ rules would apply to journalists as to everyone else. “Criticizing myself all day is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family isn’t.” “Doxxing” means posting someone’s identity, address or other personal details online.

CNN: “Worrying, but not surprising”

CNN said the “impulsive and unwarranted suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is worrying but not surprising.” Twitter was asked for an explanation, “and we will reevaluate our relationship (with the company) based on the response.”

Another journalist banned from Twitter, Matt Binder of tech media Mashable, said he was banned Thursday night immediately after sharing a screenshot of a post CNN reporter O’Sullivan published before he was banned.

The screenshot showed a statement from Los Angeles Police Department sent to various media outlets and news outlets earlier on Thursday. It was about the fact that the police were in contact with Musk’s representatives about the alleged stalking incident, but that no crime report had yet been issued.

“I have not shared any location data according to the new Twitter rules,” said Binder in an email. He also did not refer to the account that published location data from Musk’s private jet or to other accounts that published location data. He was highly critical of Musk, but never violated Twitter policies.

Chaos at Twitter since takeover

Musk – currently the second richest person in the world behind French luxury goods mogul Bernard Arnault – has thrown Twitter into chaos since the takeover. He fired top management and around half the workforce and unlocked suspended accounts like that of former US President Donald Trump.

Musk presents himself as a radical advocate of the right to free speech. Critics fear that under his leadership, hate speech and misinformation could skyrocket on Twitter.