New Twitter Files Thread Shows Jack Dorsey Phoned It In On Trump Ban – From the South Pacific – as Roth and Gadde Took Lead
Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images
The fourth installment of the so-called “Twitter Files” being released by CEO Elon Musk via various journalists was posted as a thread from journalist Michael Shellenberger, who like Bari Weiss and Matt Taibbi is a popular writer on Substack.
In the latest thread, Shellenberger continues from Taibbi’s Friday thread on the banning of ex-president Donald Trump, and the attendant and related conversations leading up to that decision.
Among the interesting items in the documents that are being shared with the public is the fact that then-CEO Jack Dorsey, who was under enormous pressure over Trump’s Twitter presence, was on vacation in French Polynesia as the ultimate outright permanent ban decision was being made.
As a result, says Shellenberger, most of the process was handled by then head of Trust & Safety Yoel Roth along with Vijaya Gadde, then counsel and head of legal, policy, and trust.
But after the events of Jan 6, the internal and external pressure on Twitter CEO @jack grows.
Former First Lady @michelleobama , tech journalist @karaswisher , @ADL , high-tech VC @ChrisSacca , and many others, publicly call on Twitter to permanently ban Trump. pic.twitter.com/RzNj7WJReg
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
Dorsey was on vacation in French Polynesia the week of January 4-8, 2021. He phoned into meetings but also delegated much of the handling of the situation to senior execs @yoyoel , Twitter’s Global Head of Trust and Safety, and @vijaya Head of Legal, Policy, & Trust.
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 10, 2022
On January 7th, an email went out to the company from Dorsey which stated that the company needed to be consistent in following policy, including a user’s right to return to the service after a temporary suspension.
Later that day, Roth rather dismissively referenced Dorsey’s email as “fine” but assured an employee that people weren’t happy about it and implied that the real word on what should and should not happen would rest with Gadde.
“Jack’s emails have been_fine_… but ultimately I think people want to hear from Vijaya, or Del, or someone closer to the specifics of this who can reassure them that people who care about this are thinking deeply about these problems and aren’t happy with where we are,” wrote Roth.
It was later that night that Roth said Dorsey had agreed to the “permanent suspension” model.
Around 11:30 am PT, Roth DMs his colleagues with news that he is excited to share.
“GUESS WHAT,” he writes. “Jack just approved repeat offender for civic integrity.”
The new approach would create a system where five violations ("strikes") would result in permanent suspension. pic.twitter.com/F1KYqd1Xea
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 11, 2022
Shellenberger’s thread continued, somewhat glacially, recounting the timeline from there in his long thread.
Trump’s permanent suspension — which was lifted by Musk after he took over the company — occurred on January 8, 2021, less than two days after the violent riot and attack on the Capitol by supporters of Trump who believed his claims about a stolen election.
