Elon Musk Seems to Blame Former "Trust and Safety Council" Head Yoel Roth for Site's Lax Enforcement of Anti-Child-Exploitation Policies

I think Musk is being too glib here in hinting at a very serious allegation.

There are some puffs of smoke. But this is a serious charge to make.

So Musk has been pointing out that it's only been under his ownership that Twitter has begun suspending accounts that trade or advertise child exploitation material. The previous policy had been to delete the offending tweet, while permitting these accounts to stay in the game.

Yoel Roth's "research" as a grad student about finding a "safe" way to allow "gay and trans youth" to use the definitely-not-for-kids gay sex app Grindr suggests that his appetite for censorship has limits.

I mean, this is free expression we're talking about. It must be protected and given maximum latitude, no matter how abhorrent we find it!

In... this case.

In other cases... not so much, not so much.

Is that a fair characterization of Yoel's Big Fat Gay Dissertation? Well, you can read it yourself, and make your own decision.

Except oh no you can't, because -- get this -- the University of Pennsylvania just removed it from public view.

[Here is a link if you want to read it: Yoel Roth Dissertation [CBD]]

The reason I'm uncomfortable with Musk's insinuation is that Yoel Roth's position -- that we must never restrict children's ability to access sexual material, but also we must use powerful tools of censorship to restrict adults' access to political material we feel might lead them astray and compromise their values -- is an absolutely bog-standard position on the left.

No one on the left would recognize this position as remotely "groomer" or pro-p3dophilia. They'd just say, "Yes, exactly, that's how it has to be-- children must have access to graphic comic books depicting graphic sex acts in their school libraries, but no, adults cannot have access to political opinions or even facts which we find might Contribute to the Political Delinquency of a Major."

But I guess that's the problem -- the entire class of people is Groomer and anti-freedom.

Update: Oh dear.

Apparently, "Otterific" is/was Yoel Roth's "secret dirty account."

posted by Ace at 01:03 PM

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