Since Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, debates have surged over the platform's trajectory—either becoming a beacon of free speech or a potential "hellscape" dominated by extremist views. Musk's commitment to "free speech absolutism" has prompted concerns and led some users to seek alternative platforms.
To gauge user perspectives, researchers conducted surveys before and after Musk's takeover. Findings revealed that while two-thirds of Americans believe people are easily offended, opinions on offensive behavior vary. Support for content moderation increased significantly after exposure to offensive language, but a substantial number of respondents remained reluctant to take action against offensive posts.
Notably, users were more open to content moderation when attacks targeted the LGBTQ community. Party affiliations also played a role, with Republicans consistently less likely to support content moderation than Democrats. A post-takeover study showed user views on moderation remained largely unchanged.
Despite fears of Twitter turning into a cesspool of hate speech, the research indicates that most users are hesitant to endorse content moderation. This poses a challenge for regulators and rights groups advocating for policies aligned with democratic values. Twitter's ability to strike a balance between free speech and responsible moderation may be influenced by user tolerance for offensive language, and external factors like advertiser departures or social pressure campaigns could reshape this dynamic. The full article in english can be read here.