In the wake of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X), Yoel Roth, Twitter’s former head of trust & safety, has emerged as one of the most important figures in the charged discourse around social media apps and their ethical responsibilities. Starting in 2016, Roth was part of a team at Twitter working to counter disinformation relating to that year’s presidential election. Shortly thereafter, he began leading the company’s initiative to counteract false information on the platform and was the first to mark Donald Trump’s tweets as inaccurate in the lead up to the 2020 election.
Despite stepping down from X late in 2022 due to ethical disagreements with Elon Musk, Roth has continued to advocate for social media users’ right to accurate information and the crucial role of content moderation across platforms. Through writing, speaking, and even testifying before Congress, Roth is determined to forge a safe future for social media users and employees worldwide. As such, he’s become a target of internet hate and disinformation himself. This past year, Elon Musk falsely accused Roth of pedophilia upon his departure from X, and an internet hate-storm ensued. Roth received countless death threats and has been forced to move repeatedly for his and his family’s safety.
