Elon Musk says Twitter restored Ye's account without his knowledge before acquisition

By Juliana Kim

Published October 28, 2022 at 11:30 AM CDT

Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, announced a content moderation council for the social media platform.

Updated October 28, 2022 at 5:35 PM ET

On his first full day as the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk says the company will form a "content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints."

He also said Twitter restored the account of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, before he completed the deal to purchase the social media platform.

"They did not consult with or inform me," Musk says.

The social media platform had locked Ye's account earlier this month after an antisemitic post that threated Jewish people.

Musk says the company will not make major decisions on content or reinstating suspended accounts until the council convenes.

NPR has reached out to Twitter for comment and will update when we get a response.

Musk has shaken up Twitter's leadership

Musk bought the company Thursday night. After making Twitter a private company, Musk also fired the CEO, chief financial officer and the company's top lawyer — signaling a new era for the social media site.

"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner," Musk wrote.

He added that Twitter would not become a "free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences."

But Musk also said he wanted the platform to offer a "desired experience" based on users' preferences, similar to the choices offered in movies and video games.

Many have questioned whether Musk's vision will include lifting the account ban of former President Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended after the capitol insurrection.

In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump wrote, "I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs."

Vijaya Gadde, the top Twitter lawyer fired by Musk, played a key role in deciding to ban Trump from the platform.

Ye's comments also drew restrictions from Meta

Ye's Instagram account had also been restricted by parent-company, Meta, earlier this month.

Upon his return to the site on Thursday, Ye posted, "I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I'm still alive."

Corrected: October 27, 2022 at 11:00 PM CDT

Elon Musk says Twitter restored Ye's account before he acquired the company. An earlier version of this story said it appeared Ye's account had been restored only after Musk took over.