ROSEMONT, Ill. (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Elon Musk has bought Twitter, the social media platform that spits out lies around the world.
Twitter laid off half of its workforce on Friday, but said the cuts to the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation were curtailed as advertisers halted spending amid concerns about content moderation.
Biden said at the fundraiser: Do you expect your children to understand what is at stake?”
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden had made clear the need to reduce hate speech and misinformation.
“That belief extends to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms where users can spread misinformation,” she said.
Musk promised to restore free speech while preventing Twitter from descending into a “hellscape”. But major advertisers have expressed concerns about his acquisition for months.
Reported by Trevor Honeycutt and Costas Pitas.Edited by William Mallard
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