Guwahati: Elon Musk has announced that X will make government-backed requests to remove posts or restrict accounts more visible to users, in a move he says will increase transparency around state intervention on the platform.
Under the proposed change, X will identify the government department or agency that has sought action against specific content or accounts. The platform will also provide details of the legal basis cited by the authorities and the reasons given for seeking the restriction.
“Any censorship required by governments is now clearly visible,” Musk said in a post on X.
Governments in different countries regularly send requests to social media platforms seeking the removal of posts, restrictions on content, or action against individual accounts. Such interventions have not always been clearly visible to the users whose content is affected.
Musk’s announcement would change that approach by making government-directed restrictions more apparent on X. Users would be able to see when a post or account has been affected by a request from a state authority, along with information about the agency behind the request and its stated legal justification.
The move could offer users greater insight into how governments seek to regulate online content and how their requests influence activity on the platform.
It also comes amid continuing debates over government oversight of social media, freedom of expression and the responsibilities of technology companies when authorities seek action against online content.