The widow of Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, has had her X account restored after it was briefly suspended. Meanwhile, his brother has been put on Russia’s wanted list. Listen to a Daily podcast special on the Russian opposition after Navalny’s death as you scroll.
X says it suspends accounts that violate its guidelines that broadly aim to protect users’ safety and privacy, as well as to restrict use of the platform by bots. This includes, but is not limited to, accounts that promote violence, harass people, post spam or share others’ personal details.
When Yulia Navalnaya’s account was temporarily suspended, the platform did not offer an explanation as to which of its guidelines was breached, but suggested that it considered her to have violated its code of conduct in some way.
The reason for the decision to suspend her remains unclear, but it contradicts the image that Elon Musk has tried to create for X under his leadership. The platform, which was acquired by the Tesla founder in 2022, has moved to reinstate the accounts of a number of users who had been permanently banned, including the former US president Donald Trump.
Musk has previously referred to himself as a “free speech absolutist” and said he wanted X to be a space where a wide range of beliefs could be debated in a healthy manner.
But Ms Navalnaya’s temporary suspension is the latest in a series of suspensions of prominent accounts since the start of the year. Early last month, Musk said he would investigate claims that X had suspended the accounts of at least eight journalists and others who had criticised the Israeli government.
“Obviously, it is ok to be critical of anything, but it is not ok to call for extreme violence, as that is illegal,” he said in a post on the platform, adding, “Apart from the “UN Exemption”, where officials from countries recognised by the UN can say what they say at the UN.”
It remains shrouded in mystery how decisions about suspensions are made, and X under Musk’s leadership has been anything but predictable. But the trend in suspensions raises questions about which political views are accepted on the platform and which are not.
