UN Human Rights chief urges Musk to create safe space on Twitter
The letter was issued shortly after Musk announced massive layoffs at the company, including of the human rights team.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued an open letter to Elon Musk, urging him to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/jdp
Português
pt
Chefe dos Direitos Humanos da ONU insta Musk a criar um espaço seguro no Twitter
“Twitter is part of a global revolution that has transformed how we communicate. But I write with concern and apprehension about our digital public square and Twitter’s role in it,” the head of the Geneva-based UN agency stated in the letter External linksent to the new CEO of Twitter on Saturday.
“Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them. Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform’s use and evolution.”
The letter came shortly after Musk announced massive layoffs at Twitter including its entire human rights team and all but two of the ethical AI team. This is not an “encouraging start,” said Türk.
The UN Human Rights chief set out six priorities as Musk moves ahead with plans to overhaul the company just a week after taking over as CEO. This includes protection for freedom of speech and transparent reporting on government requests that infringe those rights, as well as content moderation that bars hatred on the platform that incites discrimination or violence.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Explosion in global patents for transport innovations
This content was published on
The number of patents for transport innovations has exploded in the last 20 years, rising 700% to 120,000 by 2023, says WIPO.
Swiss NGO Terre des hommes loses $10m from US aid freeze
This content was published on
The Swiss-based NGO Terre des hommes is losing $10 million in annual contributions as a result of the suspension of humanitarian aid by the United States administration.
Milei orders Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization
This content was published on
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has announced plans to pull the country out of the Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization (WHO).
‘Europe’ initiative halts signature collection to focus on Swiss-EU treaty
This content was published on
The initiative sought to embed Swiss-EU relations in the Federal Constitution, but the organisers have now stopped signature collection.
Swiss study sheds light on link between obesity and metabolic diseases
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers collected cells from overweight individuals to identify biological markers that raise the risk of metabolic diseases.
Swiss retail sector sees slight decline despite strong online sales
This content was published on
Black Friday, which performed well in some areas of Switzerland, and Christmas sales could not make up for the losses of previous months.
Over 6,000 Swiss companies go bankrupt but start-ups see growth
This content was published on
Switzerland recorded a spike in bankruptcies last year, but there was also a rise in new start-ups. Trends varied significantly by region and sector.
Basel greenlights funding for Eurovision Village 2025
This content was published on
MCH Group Ltd. is set to receive CHF1 million ($1.1 million) for the Eurovision Village at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel.
Switzerland ticks differently with social media laws
This content was published on
Fake news, conspiracy theories, censorship: the reputation of social media seems at an all-time low. Can it ever be a boon for democracy again?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.