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Washington (AFP) – Elon Musk suspended another journalist’s Twitter account on Sunday, the latest in a series of suspensions after the billionaire owner of the social network complained that he was leaking personal information that was endangering his family.
“Elon Musk suspended my Twitter account,” Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz said on his Substack platform page.
Lorenz, who covers the tech, said Musk’s suspension came after she and a colleague “tried to reach out to him multiple times” to discuss a paper they were working on.
“When I went to log in and see if he had answered our question, I was suspended. I have not received any communication from the company as to why I was suspended or what terms I violated,” he wrote.
Post Executive Director Sally Buzbee protested the move.
“The arbitrary suspension of another Post reporter further undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to operate Twitter as a platform dedicated to free expression,” he said, noting that the suspension “came without notice, trial or explanation.”
When asked by a Twitter user about what happened to Lorenz, Musk publicly responded with a tweet: “Temporary suspension due to previous disclosure of personal data by this account. Will be lifted shortly.”
Musk suspended the Twitter accounts of several journalists on Friday, including The Washington Post, The New York Times and CNN, whom he accused of putting his family at risk.
The controversy started on Wednesday when Musk, also the head of Tesla and SpaceX, announced the suspension of @elonjet, an account that automatically reported the tycoon’s private jet tours.
The suspension then followed for reports by journalists who tweeted about that decision. Some of the suspended accounts were reactivated on Saturday, although reporters said they had been told they would have to remove some posts if they were to take full advantage of the platform.
Musk’s suspensions have drawn strong criticism from the United Nations, the European Union and media organizations.
© 2022 AFP
