During the Spring, I kvetched that Twitter had slapped a "Sensitive content" label on all of our Tweets that included a link or photo. That was before Elon Musk stepped in. See Imagine If Twitter Became Open Again. I hope Twitter exposes all of the censorship so many of us have faced. Especially the Covid crackdown. That doesn't mean I want to see overtly controversial and despicable content allowed. But who defines pornography, right? "I know it when I see it." From CHD's The Defender.

Twitter Ditches COVID Misinformation Policy, Plans to Reveal Internal Files on ‘Free Speech Suppression’

Effective Nov. 23, Twitter is “no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy,” the company said, adding that it will “soon” reveal internal files on the company’s “free speech suppression,” which could shed light on Twitter’s past actions in blocking content and banning accounts.

By Tom Ozimek

Twitter has stopped enforcing its COVID-19 “misleading information” policy that had resulted in nearly 100,000 pieces of content being cut from the platform and led to more than 11,000 account suspensions.

The social media giant, which was taken over by industrialist Elon Musk at the end of October, said in a report that, effective Nov. 23, Twitter is “no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy.”

The report included information about Twitter’s enforcement actions related to its COVID-19 content policies. Between January 2020 and September 2022, there were 11.72 million accounts challenged, 11,230 accounts were suspended and 97,674 pieces of content were removed.

The policy, which was introduced to curb the spread of “harmful misinformation” related to COVID-19, was praised by some, including U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who in an advisory on “building a healthy information environment” cited Twitter’s rules as a model for companies to fight misinformation.

But heavy-handed enforcement of the policy garnered criticism, such as when earlier this year Twitter flagged numerous tweets with factual information about COVID-19 as misinformation and suspended accounts of scientists and doctors.

The crackdown

In one case, Twitter blocked a post from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo that promoted an analysis that asserts there were a high number of cardiac-related deaths among men who took an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

The post, which was unblocked hours later, reads: “Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of. This analysis showed an increased risk of cardiac-related death among men 18-39. FL will not be silent on the truth.” It also linked to guidance and a news release regarding the analysis.

Several members of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration criticized Twitter for blocking Ladapo’s post. Read more here.

Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming (Children’s Health Defense)
A guide for the times—breaking down the lies about COVID-19 and shedding light on why we came to believe them.