London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Twitter ends COVID-19 “misinformation” policy

Twitter ends COVID-19 “misinformation” policy

"Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy," the company stated on its transparency page for coronavirus misinformation. Additionally, the COVID-19 policy is no longer listed on Twitter's, "How we address misinformation on Twitter" explainer, and the URL for the misinformation policy now redirects to Twitter's Help Center.
On the same day Twitter stopped enforcing its COVID-19 misinformation policy, Musk posted a poll asking his followers if Twitter should offer "general amnesty to suspended accounts" under certain conditions. After more than 3 million people responded, with 72.4% in the affirmative, the billionaire announced "Amnesty begins next week." 

Twitter introduced its COVID-19 misinformation policy in March 2020, announcing that posts contradicting "authoritative sources" on the virus would be taken down. The policy was later expanded to prioritize the "removal of the most harmful, misleading information" about COVID-19 vaccines.

According to Twitter, 11,230 accounts have been suspended for violating the rules against COVID-19 misinformation. More than 11.72 million accounts were challenged under the policy and 97,674 pieces of content worldwide were removed as of September 2022. 

Social media content moderation policies have faced scrutiny from lawmakers as the tech industry has sought to balance combating harmful misinformation with free speech. Lawmakers have weighed in, with Democrats generally calling for greater censorship of posts deemed to spread misinformation and Republicans investigating how the government worked alongside social media platforms to censor and suppress posts about COVID-19. 

In September, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry accused the Biden administration of pressuring Facebook and Twitter to censor certain posts and demanded that the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services turn over communications the government had with those platforms. 

Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist," has promised to publish a report that would reveal how and why Twitter suppressed certain accounts. The billionaire CEO has previously stated revealing internal discussions about how Twitter enforced its policies is "necessary to restore public trust." 

"The Twitter Files on free speech suppression soon to be published on Twitter itself," Musk tweeted Monday. "The public deserves to know what really happened…" 

Critics, particularly those on the right, have long criticized the platform for what they regard as unfair and obscure standards regarding which accounts are censored or suspended. 

The tech giant permanently banned former President Trump from the platform in 2021, blocked the New York Post’s story in 2020 on Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop, and locked conservative satire site The Babylon Bee out of its Twitter account in March for awarding transgender Biden administration official Rachel Levine a fictious "Man of the Year" award. 

Twitter had also banned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Dr. Robert Malone, a contributor to mRNA vaccine technology, and former New York Times journalist and author Alex Berenson under its COVID-19 policies.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×