from right-wing pundit
Elon Musk’s X, also known as the “Verified X” tool, was used in June 2020 to remove the verification mark from the Twitter page of the right-wing pundit Candace Owens. Musk’s intent was to reduce the reach of misinformation and hoaxes spread by her tweets, which had been labeled as “manipulative or misleading.” However, backlash in the media prompted him to quickly reverse the decision, allowing Owens to keep her blue badge. Musk released a statement explaining that he was “against using verification as an endorsement,” and that he did not want to censor anyone’s speech.
