Musk says Twitter is biased against conservatives -- facts say otherwise

[AZProgressive]

One of the reasons Tesla tycoon Elon Musk says he wants to take over Twitter is that the social media platform censors conservatives.

“I’m worried about de facto bias in ‘the Twitter algorithm’ having a major effect on public discourse,” he tweeted not long before launching his hostile $43 billion bid for the company.

(Snip)

Even anecdotal evidence of supposed bias tends to evaporate under close examination. Yes, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube barred former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection. But while unprecedented, this response was justified by Trump’s repeated violation of platform rules against baselessly undermining election results and inciting violence.

Now, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale and the University of Exeter have released the first study that I’m aware of that takes an independent, empirical look at the bias claim. Twitter, they found, does tend to suspend Republican users far more frequently than Democrats. But that’s not necessarily because of partisan favoritism. Instead, it’s just as likely that Republicans were suspended because they tend to spread far more misinformation.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/3273956-musk-says-twitter-is-biased-against-conservatives-facts-say-otherwise/

[peppertree]

1. Small wonder Repugs tend to get suspended more often than Dems

I know of one acquaintance whose account was terminated after he voiced sympathy for Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas mass shooter - complete with what sounded like a veiled threat against then-Senator Kamala Harris.

He must have blown a gasket when his Twitter was, in fact, shuttered - not least because he really didn't think they would.

This is how out of touch with reality a lot of these people are.

[SunSeeker]

7. Holy shit. And Elon would have let the psycho keep tweeting! nt

[peppertree]

15. Exactly

This is always the risk of letting any one individual - especially someone as unstable as Musk - to have that much money.

[SCantiGOP]

2. Reality, intelligence and good taste

are all biased against conservatives.

John Stuart Mill:
Not all Conservatives are stupid people, but all stupid people are Conservative.

[happybird]

3. This reminds me of the interview with the Macedonian teenager who wrote fake news

It was several years ago. He said they gave up trying to target the Left because the lefties tended to fact check and then dismiss the stories as fake crap. Most importantly, they didn’t share the bs stories on Facebook, unlike the rightwingers.

[KPN]

4. Surprised "The Hill" actually published this.

I don’t know. Is that a good sign or just an appeasement?

[Rocknation]

5. Rocknation says that conservatives are biased against facts

Rocknation

[SunSeeker]

6. Fuck that ignorant spoiled brat. He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.

His dad had a had a fucking Emerald mine in South Africa. Musk once said, "We had so much money at times we couldn't even close our safe." He used his money to buy what is now Paypal, and sold it to Ebay in 2002 for $1.5 Billion. He used his money again to buy and squeeze out the founders of Tesla Motors.

Yet he thinks he is disadvantaged because he's a conservative.

[jfz9580m]

8. I don't understand the appeal of playing the victim

I feel happier personally when I think that I have net been lucky-people have generally mostly been decent etc.. I am not fond of large corporations, sleazy interest groups etc. But honestly, I hate the times I was ..I guess unwell enough to feel aggrieved..at people or the world. It is a very unpleasant headspace..

No one has to be into positive thinking or pollyannaishness..it is next to impossible these days if you are informed..but this inane querulousness by a lot of fairly well off people is baffling.



It happens to everyone at times..especially people who have downturns in life..But I don't get being far from shat on..hell a goddamn billionaire born with a fucking diamond spoon in your mouth and still whinging about how you are oppressed, censored and so on..
I can't stand Musk..he makes me feel relatively charitable towards zuckcreep creep and larry page..

It is an essentially histrionic headspace..either a hero..or a victim..self lionization followed by angst..why anyone would enjoy such dreary drivel beats me..if you are stuck like that by default it is hellish..to choose to be like that as Musk etc do..beyond bizarre...

[SunSeeker]

9. I don't get it either.

Some days, I feel pretty fucking grateful just for waking up.

[jfz9580m]

14. Let's hope it is not that bad!

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Because that then "justifies" doing dubious, illicit or plain unlawful things "to even it up"

or stopping the investigation of conservatives, or enforcement of rules against them.

Claiming that he would be the victim of electoral fraud gave Trump, in the eyes of his gullible supporters, the "right" to stop the electoral college process. Claiming that postal balloting victimizes Republicans, or whites, gives Republicans an excuse for restrictive laws on voting, that actually do disadvantage Democrats and non-whites. Claiming that the IRS was biased against conservative groups got the investigations into tax cheating, which was mostly by conservatives, stopped. Claiming that Twitter and other social media are biased against conservatives gets the banning for spreading dangerous lies, again mostly done by conservatives, stopped.

They don't want to be held to account. So any time that happens, they claim they are being victimized.

[JHB]

11. "Truth has a well-known liberal bias"

Conservatives wouldn't be "censored" if they didn't' fall for and repeat every horseshit claim that comes down the pike.

[jfz9580m]

12. That was my first reaction too..good old Colbert

Though I am not sure if he said truth or reality..works either way.

[nuxvomica]

16. We need to stop thinking of the Republicans as a "political" party

It's now just a gang engaging in abuse and fraud but wearing the fig leaf of "just politics". To say Twitter is biased against "conservatives" is like saying the court system is biased against criminals.

[BlueWavePsych]

17. Kick

[ck4829]

18. Musk doesn't know what's going on