Elon Musk has finally taken to Twitter. The richest man in the world plans to make big changes to the social network founded by Jack Dorsey. Openly libertarian, the billionaire has already announced his intentions.moderation relax. Elon Musk believes Twitter has gone too far in censoring online content. “Freedom of expression is the foundation of a functioning democracy”, After the takeover, it launched Elon Musk.
The changes promised by the Tesla founder do not please everyone. Few Twitter employees fear that Elon Musk will turn the social network into an anarchic platform devoid of any control. Concern is shared by several NGOs.
26 NGOs ask brands to boycott Twitter if Elon Musk implements promised changes
In the open letter sent to the brands, 26 NGO coalitions He’s asking advertisers to boycott Twitter if Elon Musk keeps his freedom of speech promises. The coalition includes Media Matters for America, Accountable Tech and UltraViolet, organizations that fight online disinformation and causes such as racism, homophobia or racism.
“Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter risks becoming a misinformation pit. Your brand risks being associated with a platform that fuels hate, extremism, health misinformation, and conspiracy theories (…) Your advertising budget can fund or amplify Musk’s whims.”He encourages the coalition in a letter quoted by our colleagues from the BFM.
Concretely, NGOs are among brands that pay to advertise on Twitter. Leave the social network if Elon Musk implements his program. Deprived of advertising revenue, the social network should, in theory, yield to the demands of brands. It seems that Elon Musk expects this kind of criticism and is trying to put pressure on it.
To avoid being dependent on advertisers, Twitter’s new owner aims to:free the platform from corporate influence and advertisement. Instead, Musk wants Twitter to generate revenue by selling premium subscriptions to specific users, such as brands or governments.
NGOs fear Donald Trump’s return to Twitter
The open letter also includes all people banned from Twitter. Returns after Musk’s takeover. The NGO coalition is considering, without name, one of the most famous people specifically banned from the platform, Donald Trump. The US president was kicked off Twitter after the attack on the capital in January 2021. The Twitter moderator believed that Trump was indirectly responsible for the incident due to his hateful tweets.
During his presidency, he posted several tweets about what is thought to be the former tenant of the White House. incitement to violence. Rumors surfaced online claiming, without any proof, that Musk could reintegrate the former president into the social network in the name of freedom of speech.
“Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter will make our information ecosystem even more toxic and pose a direct threat to public safety, especially among those who are already the most vulnerable and marginalized.”believes in coalition.
Disturbed by the letter sent to brands, Elon Musk spoke on Twitter to denounce a manipulation attempt. “Who is funding these organizations that want to control your access to information?”He addresses Elon Musk and points out that many NGOs are funded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros or former US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. “I wonder if the funders of these organizations are fully aware of what the organizations are doing”billionaire added.
Groundless fears?
Despite the concerns voiced by NGOs, Elon Musk’s room for maneuver seems quite limited. Under the auspices of the libertarian billionaire, Twitter will always have to comply with the law. As Cédric O, Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of digital reminds us, “Digital services law – and hence disinformation, online hate, etc. obligation to deal with – it will be valid whatever the ideology of the owner”. Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, agrees and states: “Whatever the new shareholding, Twitter will have to fully comply with European rules”.
Source : BFM