What happened though?

In 2020, Twitter took measures to label media accounts controlled by governments, including China and Russia, with the “Stay tuned” label, which denotes the editorial control of these countries. Also, these accounts have been blocked from search results. However, from April 6, 2023 these restrictions were lifted at Musk’s decision.

Such a step caused excitement both among users of the social network and among experts. Accounts of Chinese and Russian state media outlets such as Narodna Gazeta, Izvestia, and Xinhua are reappearing in search results, although Twitter’s policy still mandates that government-funded media outlets be labeled accordingly.

Moreover, these accounts appear at the top of the list and are also recommended in the “For You” section, which will only display so-called accounts from April 15, 2023. verified accountsThese do not go through any verification, however, but only pays Musk $8 for the Twitter Blue subscription.

something very strange is happening

It’s also interesting that Twitter now marks NPR’s account as m.media funded by the US government. This led to a backlash and a request from NPR to remove the tag. While reputable media outlets such as Twitter, BBC and NPR assured that their accounts would not be flagged, Musk seems to have changed his mind.

The thing is, the US government funding for NPR does not exceed 1% of the total radio budget. By the same logic, Musk could safely “reward” SpaceX’s official account with a similar note – there the share of US funds is a much larger percentage.

Internet reaction

Musk’s decision to lift restrictions from Chinese and Russian state media accounts has sparked mixed reactions. While some argue that it promotes freedom of speech and allows different voices to be heard (if freedom of speech is propaganda, manipulation of facts and outright lies, frauds and fabrications), others they are concerned about potential misinformation being spread through these accounts. Twitter has not yet made an official statement about Musk’s decision and has not made a statement about the changes in its policy.

As the social media landscape and its relationship with state media continue to evolve, Musk’s decision to lift restrictions on the Twitter accounts of Chinese and Russian state media has brought new attention to the issue. Although the consequences of this decision can be predicted quite easily, they are not yet fully understood. Looks like it’s time to say goodbye to Twitter as it used to be.