UN human rights chief Volker Turk has urged Twitter's new owner Elon Musk to ensure that respect for human rights is central to the social network following his sacking of around half the company's employees
Reports of Mr Musk laying off the platform's entire human rights team were"not, from my perspective, an encouraging start", Mr Turk said in an open letter.
"Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform's use and evolution. In short, I urge you to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership."He set out six fundamental principles from a human rights perspective, urging Mr Musk to put them front and centre in the management of Twitter.Mr Musk has promised to restore free speech while preventing Twitter from descending into a"hellscape".
Mr Musk blamed the losses on a coalition of civil rights groups that has been pressing Twitter's top advertisers to take action if he did not protect content moderation - concerns heightened ahead of potential pivotal congressional elections in the US on Tuesday. Among those let go were 784 employees from the company's San Francisco headquarters and 199 in San Jose and Los Angeles, according to filings to California's employment authority.
In an update to Apple iOS devices, Twitter said those who"sign up now" can receive the sought-after blue badge next to their usernames,"just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow".
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