This is a breaking story…please refresh page for updates as the Twitter thread unrolls.
Elon Musk’s “Twitter Files” part 4 was released by Michael Shellenberger Saturday evening.
Part 4 of the release includes part 2 of the internal discussions leading up to the ‘removal of Trump’
President Trump was ultimately banned from Twitter on January 8, 2021.
According to journalist Michael Shellenberger, on January 7, senior Twitter execs:
– create justifications to ban Trump
– seek a change of policy for Trump alone, distinct from other political leaders
– express no concern for the free speech or democracy implications of a ban
On Jan 7, senior Twitter execs:
– create justifications to ban Trump
– seek a change of policy for Trump alone, distinct from other political leaders
– express no concern for the free speech or democracy implications of a ban
This #TwitterFiles is reported with @lwoodhouse
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
For years, Twitter had resisted calls to ban Trump.
“Blocking a world leader from Twitter,” it wrote in 2018, “would hide important info… [and] hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.”
For years, Twitter had resisted calls to ban Trump.
“Blocking a world leader from Twitter,” it wrote in 2018, “would hide important info… [and] hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.”https://t.co/qaqklHOHjc
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
However, after January 6, the pressure to ban Trump grew.
Michelle Obama, the terrorists at the ADL and others called on Twitter to permanently ban Trump.
But after the events of Jan 6, the internal and external pressure on Twitter CEO @jack grows.
Former First Lady @michelleobama , tech journalist @karaswisher , @ADL , high-tech VC @ChrisSacca , and many others, publicly call on Twitter to permanently ban Trump. pic.twitter.com/RzNj7WJReg
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
Jack Dorsey was out of town from January 4-8, 2021 so all decisions regarding Trump were handled by the usual suspects: Yoel Roth and Vijaya Gadde.
Dorsey was on vacation in French Polynesia the week of January 4-8, 2021. He phoned into meetings but also delegated much of the handling of the situation to senior execs @yoyoel , Twitter’s Global Head of Trust and Safety, and @vijaya Head of Legal, Policy, & Trust.
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
In 2022, 99% of Twitter’s staffers donated to the Democrats.
In 2017, Yoel Roth tweeted that there were “ACTUAL NAZIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.”
In 2017, Roth tweeted that there were “ACTUAL NAZIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.”
In April 2022, Roth told a colleague that his goal “is to drive change in the world,” which is why he decided not to become an academic. pic.twitter.com/1Bi7fNHfWP
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
On January 7 Jack Dorsey emailed employees saying Twitter needs to remain consistent in its policies.
On January 7, @Jack emails employees saying Twitter needs to remain consistent in its policies, including the right of users to return to Twitter after a temporary suspension
After, Roth reassures an employee that "people who care about this… aren't happy with where we are" pic.twitter.com/IfDpEVnOtR
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
At 11:30 PM, Yoel Roth DMs his colleagues excited about a new policy that can be used to restrict more speech.
Around 11:30 am PT, Roth DMs his colleagues with news that he is excited to share.
“GUESS WHAT,” he writes. “Jack just approved repeat offender for civic integrity.”
The new approach would create a system where five violations ("strikes") would result in permanent suspension. pic.twitter.com/F1KYqd1Xea
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
All the Communists of Yoel Roth’s ‘Trust and Safety’ team were excited about the new policy so they can permanently ban conservatives.
“Progress!” exclaims a member of Roth’s Trust and Safety Team.
The exchange between Roth and his colleagues makes clear that they had been pushing @jack for greater restrictions on the speech Twitter allows around elections.
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Yoel Roth’s colleagues wanted to know if the decision means they can finally ban Trump.
The colleague wants to know if the decision means Trump can finally be banned. The person asks, "does the incitement to violence aspect change that calculus?”
Roth says it doesn't. "Trump continues to just have his one strike" (remaining). pic.twitter.com/Qyi1sJNa0w
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
“Yoel Roth’s colleague’s query about “incitement to violence” heavily foreshadows what will happen the following day.” Shellenberger said.
“On January 8, Twitter announces a permanent ban on Trump due to the “risk of further incitement of violence.”” he said.
Roth's colleague's query about "incitement to violence" heavily foreshadows what will happen the following day.
On January 8, Twitter announces a permanent ban on Trump due to the "risk of further incitement of violence." pic.twitter.com/psLb5HDGQP
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
On January 8, Twitter says its ban is based on “specifically how [Trump’s tweets] are being received & interpreted.”
On J8, Twitter says its ban is based on "specifically how [Trump's tweets] are being received & interpreted."
But in 2019, Twitter said it did "not attempt to determine all potential interpretations of the content or its intent.” https://t.co/2jW1s5pH4W pic.twitter.com/8gZwIDtyUQ
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Only a junior person at Twitter expressed concerns over free speech: “This might be an unpopular opinion but one off ad hoc decisions like this that don’t appear rooted in policy are imho a slippery slope and reflect an alternatively aqually dictatorial problem. This now appears to be a fiat by an online platform CEO with a global presence that can gatekeep speech for the entire world – which seems unsustainable.”
The *only* serious concern we found expressed within Twitter over the implications for free speech and democracy of banning Trump came from a junior person in the organization. It was tucked away in a lower-level Slack channel known as “site-integrity-auto." pic.twitter.com/6CWiz5MXfu
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Yoel Roth and his colleagues were careful not to blacklist the term “stopthesteal” so they don’t risk “deamplifying counterspeech” that validates the election.
In other words, Twitter didn’t want to risk suppressing any leftists by blacklisting “stopthesteal.”
Roth immediately DMs a colleague to ask that they add "stopthesteal" & [QAnon conspiracy term] "kraken" to a blacklist of terms to be deamplified.
Roth's colleague objects that blacklisting "stopthesteal" risks "deamplifying counterspeech" that validates the election. pic.twitter.com/G02gGeicUW
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Yoel Roth and his colleagues found a way to only punish conservatives and spare left-leaning accounts.
Indeed, notes Roth's colleague, "a quick search of top stop the steal tweets and they’re counterspeech"
But they quickly come up with a solution: "deamplify accounts with stopthesteal in the name/profile" since "those are not affiliated with counterspeech" pic.twitter.com/BjVvtAhLtw
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Twitter employees struggle with whether to punish users who share screenshots of Trump’s deleted J-6 tweets.
One employee said he doesn’t want to give strikes to the Twitter users who are criticizing Trump.
Employees struggle with whether to punish users who share screenshots of Trump's deleted J6 tweets
"we should bounce these tweets with a strike given the screen shot violates the policy"
"they are criticising Trump, so I am bit hesitant with applying strike to this user" pic.twitter.com/dhHF2nXsHz
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
If the Twitter user hates Trump *and* objects to Twitter’s censorship, the tweet will still be deleted, but the left-wing account won’t receive a strike.
Only pro-Trump tweets with Trump’s J-6 screenshots will be hit with a punishing strike.
What if a user dislikes Trump *and* objects to Twitter's censorship? The tweet still gets deleted. But since the *intention* is not to deny the election result, no punishing strike is applied.
"if there are instances where the intent is unclear please feel free to raise" pic.twitter.com/8bdG6b38ej
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
HERE IT IS: TWITTTER DROPPED ITS PUBLIC INTEREST POLICY IN ORDER TO BAN TRUMP.
Yoel Roth said, “In this specific case, we’re changing our public interest approach for [Trump’s] account…”
What happens next is essential to understanding how Twitter justified banning Trump.
Sales exec: "are we dropping the public interest [policy] now…"
Roth, six hours later: "In this specific case, we're changing our public interest approach for his account…" pic.twitter.com/XRUFil2npI
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Yoel Roth pushed for a permanent suspension of Congressman Matt Gaetz.
Roth pushes for a permanent suspension of Rep. Matt Gaetz even though it “doesn’t quite fit anywhere (duh)”
It's a kind of test case for the rationale for banning Trump.
“I’m trying to talk [Twitter’s] safety [team] into… removal as a conspiracy that incites violence.” pic.twitter.com/ZQP6u1zevy
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
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