‘Free Speech’ Platfrom X Suspends Opposition Party Accounts in Turkey

Elon Musk purchased Twitter (and then renamed it X) with the promise that it would be a free speech paradise. It turns out in practice, that means you can say your favorite slurs but can’t protest government overreach. Following the arrest of the primary political rival of Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan, demonstrators have taken to the streets and to social media to protest the seemingly politically motivated action. According to Politico, some of those who have taken to speaking out against the government have been suspended on X. Per Politico’s reporting, “university-associated activist accounts” that share protest information including times and locations for students and other activists who might want to participate have been the primary targets of the suspensions. Most of the accounts are described as “grassroots activists” with relatively small followings, typically in the tens of thousands. In some cases, it seems those accounts have been suspended in Turkey—where their inf ... Read full article.