· Company action
X briefly suspends accounts of several journalists and commentators; Musk cites spam sweeps
What he said or did
X suspended the accounts of journalists including Ken Klippenstein (The Intercept), Steven Monacelli (Texas Observer) and Alan MacLeod, along with several left-leaning commentators. Most accounts were restored within hours.
Background
Fast Company reported that nearly all of the suspended accounts had recently posted criticism of Israel and that most had also criticised Musk; it said it was unclear whether there was a common thread. X gave no formal explanation.
Official response
Musk posted: We do sweeps for spam/scam accounts and sometimes real accounts get caught up in them.
X answered Fast Company's questions with its automated press reply.
What happened next
The accounts were restored within hours, according to The Independent and Fast Company.
Sources
- The Independent (via Yahoo News)9 Jan 2024
- Fast Company12 Jan 2024
This entry records what was publicly said or done, as reported by the sources above. Quotes are attributed to the person who made them.
