Elon Musk has defended Twitter's decision to limit access to "some tweets" in Turkey as critics slammed the ultra-billionaire over online censorship.
The decision of the Twitter boss comes as the country is on the brink of an intensely contested presidential election race.
Twitter Restricts Tweets in Turkey Ahead of Intense Elections
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City.
According to the New York Post, Twitter has taken a controversial step by restricting access to some tweets in Turkey, a country widely known for its vibrant political landscape, gearing up for a tightly fought election.
The Global Government Affairs of Twitter tweeted that they "have taken action to restrict access to some content in Turkey today" to ensure that the social network "remains available to the people of Turkey." Furthermore, the Global Affairs unit disclosed that the move is in response to a legal process in the country.
In the same Twitter thread, the Global Government Affairs department assures everyone that the affected tweet will still be available elsewhere except for Turkey users. It emphasized that these restricted posts will be present in various parts of the world.
However, as per Engadget, the giant social network failed to disclose which tweets the restrictions affect.
Critics slammed the decision and the big boss of the platform at the moment's notice. And as such, Elon Musk emerged as the staunch defender of Twitter's actions.
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Elon Musk Defends Twitter 'Censorship' in Turkey
Protesters hold placards reading "do not touch my twitter " and "communication right is a basic human right" during a demonstration against the ban on Twitter during a demonstration against Turkish government in Ankara on March 22, 2014.
A Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias went on to slam Musk for the recent move of Twitter that limits access to its users in Turkey.
The New York Post notes that the columnist, Yglesias, has raised serious allegations against the tech magnate, claiming that the Twitter owner is actively silencing critics on behalf of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Turkish leader reportedly has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Musk responded to the columnist's tweet with this question: "Did your brain fall out of your head, Yglesias?" He then defended the recent move, saying he only had two choices. Either Twitter gets throttled altogether in the country, or it limits "access to some tweets."
Meanwhile, Business Insider reports that some critics accused Musk of caving into the political pressure in Turkey.
The news outlet points out that the space exploration firm recently extended a helping hand to Turkey to launch a satellite to orbit through the Falcon 9 rocket. A flight in the rocket is to the tune of $62 million, Space.com estimates.
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