They didn't really, that's just a Trumpist conspiracy theory trying to equivocate the racist and violent speech among its base with legitimate and mainstream conservative speech, and the banning thereof with political persecution by a shadowy, all-controlling leftist cabal. But conservative speech always has and still does exist on social media, everywhere, in abundance.
In fact, Twitter (and other social media platform) algorithms have been shown to amplify right-wing content more often than left-wing content, not suppress it. Which is of course why they're trying so hard to control it.
I'm not sure I fully believe the algorithms promoted right-wing content, although I do believe the algorithm promotes controversial content, which is one of the strategies on the right, as more of a cultural underdog trying to get visibility.
It's also self-evident, honestly, that the human moderators, which overviewed the decisions of the algorithm in Twitter 1.0 were predominantly left-leaning, with many LGBTQ+ members working as contractors, moderating from home.
The sad thing for me is the hypocrisy. Here is Elon coming and proclaiming himself a "free speech absolutist" and "comedy is now legal", and then start banning accounts in large swaths on a whim based on whatever right-wing $8 badge buyers tweet at him, including a whole group of apolitical comedy accounts.
This will shrink Twitter and turn it into Parler.
The right see the destruction of Twitter as a win, and it is a win, but quite a short term one. This network will rebuild itself elsewhere, and you won't have $44 billion ready every time for the next hostile takeover.
I see this as a huge missed opportunity to have a truly inclusive platform that welcomes everyone and takes no sides. I have no idea if Elon Musk lied about this intentionally or he was coached and tricked into it by his right-wing supporters, but he shot his investment in the foot.
>I'm not sure I fully believe the algorithms promoted right-wing content, although I do believe the algorithm promotes controversial content, which is one of the strategies on the right, as more of a cultural underdog trying to get visibility.
The right isn't a cultural underdog trying to get visibility. The right has always been the primary political and cultural force in the US, to the point that what counts as "the left" in American politics (the Democratic Party) is still ideologically center-right.
I agree with you about Elon and the eventual fate of Twitter, although I fear you haven't yet seen that the entire "free speech absolutism" debate and the narrative that social media platforms are captured and controlled by a leftist agenda was always about promoting right-wing accelerationism and never about political neutrality or free speech.
There is a reason you've rarely if ever seen these discussions or passionate defenses of absolute free speech take place in defense of left-wing speech, only right-wing speech. And it isn't because left-wing speech is never censored or suppressed - it very often is (particularly LGBTQ speech, which is often categorized as "sexual" or NSFW regardless of its content.)
In fact, Twitter (and other social media platform) algorithms have been shown to amplify right-wing content more often than left-wing content, not suppress it. Which is of course why they're trying so hard to control it.