Elon Musk deal saved Twitter: FCC commissioner
FCC commissioner Carr hopeful Musk will bend content moderation towards ‘greater embrace of free speech’
Musk to bend Twitter policies ‘towards greater embrace of free speech’: FCC commissioner
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr says previous ownership didn’t live up to ‘standards we expect’ from social media platforms.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr provided an optimistic outlook for Twitter on the heels of Elon Musk’s takeover, noting the billionaire stopped the dangerous direction the social media soapbox was headed on "Mornings with Maria" Tuesday.
"There was a pivot point in this country that I think came around 2016 when people started to reach the view, particularly among the hard left, that the free exchange of ideas is incompatible with the outcomes that they want to see at the ballot box," Carr told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
"The moment that we insist that everyone think the same way we do, our democratic way of life is in danger," the commissioner continued. "And it's not just this idea that they don't want to hear divergent views, they don't want those views to exist. They don't want people to be able to exchange political information."
Twitter officially accepted the Tesla founder and CEO’s offer to buy the Big Tech giant for $44 billion on Monday, a move that will take the company private.
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Musk, a self-described "free-speech absolutist," has remained openly critical of Twitter’s existing content moderation and algorithms. Carr agreed with Musk’s statement that free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said he's hopeful Elon Musk's Twitter takeover embraces free speech and the exchange of political information on "Mornings with Maria" Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Getty Images)
"I'm hopeful that Elon Musk is going to bend Twitter's content moderation towards a greater embrace of free speech," Carr said.
But, the commissioner argued the FCC can’t solely rely on Musk’s "benevolence."
"Prior ownership really hasn't lived up to the standards that we expect from these types of companies," Carr explained. "If you look back throughout the course of history in the U.S., when you have two things that emerge, an essential means of communication and abusive practice, we have government that steps in and puts common-sense guardrails in place."
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In reality, Carr admitted, he’s not sure what Elon Musk is going to do as Twitter’s new owner.
"There's a lot of core political speech that we can promote on the Internet and not have the terrorist speech and other straw man arguments that are out there," Carr said. "And that's where I think we need to head."