It’s official now. After several days of hesitation, attempts and negotiations, Twitter finally gave in to Elon Musk’s offer. Last night, the billionaire announced that he has taken over the social network for $44 billion. If we had waited a bit, nothing was clear yet last week. Indeed, many Twitter shareholders opposed the takeover, even devising strategies to dissuade the businessman from owning the company.
Now we’ll see what Elon Musk plans to do with his favorite social network. If the latter is clearly clueless, users are still in the dark about the actual changes to be made. One thing is for sure: In a few months, the platform will not look like we know it today. Softer moderation, the possibility of altering his tweets, and even the default integration of cryptocurrencies… Here are the ways the billionaire is talking openly.
less aggressive moderation
This is the central point of Elon Musk’s project. Several times, I’ve used Twitter as a “The arena of inclusion”. In the press release released to announce the acquisition, the latter adds a layer by announcing. “Freedom of expression is the foundation of a functioning democracy”. Indeed, several times the businessman complained about the “censorship” with which the social network would be implemented, preventing its users from freely communicating.
Therefore, these statements are not trivial. Many on Twitter are worried about what’s really behind this project. If there is moderation, it is clear that many hateful and violent tweets, especially directed at minorities, are slipping through the cracks every day. Despite reports, some remain online for several days or are not deleted at all. If a putative libertarian like Elon Musk wants to make this moderation even more flexible, there is reason to ask questions about the future of the rules in effect on the platform.
While it’s unlikely that the billionaire would allow racist, homophobic, and other nonsense on Twitter in the name of “free speech,” some people may feel more comfortable sharing their discriminatory views. He also suggested that Donald Trump, many of whom were banned from Twitter in 2021, could return. However, the former US President has stated that he will stay on his own social network, Truth.
Edit Tweet button
Elon Musk, another pioneer of this takeover, may finally add a button to edit these tweets after they’re published. This is definitely the feature that users have been waiting for the most. Twitter has argued for years that this would go against its philosophy of striving for maximum spontaneity and honesty. In other words, to allow someone to change their tweets is to risk letting someone change their mind according to their own desires.
Elon Musk has repeatedly defended the integration of the feature in his personal account. A few weeks ago, Twitter finally gave up and started testing for Blue users. It is possible for things to go into high gear under the businessman’s guidance.
Better integration of cryptocurrencies
In addition, the Twitter Blue subscription offer is of great interest to the billionaire. In a survey of its subscribers, the latter specifically stated: “Anyone who signs up for Twitter Blue (i.e. pays $3 per month) should get certified”. Also, Elon Musk suggested that this subscription could be paid for by Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that he has more or less voluntarily been his muse for several years.
Cryptocurrencies, precisely, may occupy an important place in the social network in the future. As we know, Elon Musk is particularly fond of digital currencies and even the slightest statement he makes has the power to turn the market upside down. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that it is possible to make various purchases on the platform using digital currencies.
a few other ideas
Finally, Elon Musk has come up with a few more ideas over the past few days. Already, Twitter wants its algorithm to be open source to give its users more control. Surprisingly, he also offered to delist the company without clearly explaining the reasons.
Worried to preserve his image as a great humanist, the billionaire also proposed turning Twitter’s headquarters into a shelter for the homeless. He made it clear that his intentions were very serious and even discussed the terms of its implementation with Jeff Bezos. Finally, the businessman stated that he wanted to remove all ads on the platform.
Toward a large user exit
Despite his strong popularity on social networks, it would be an understatement to say that Elon Musk disagrees on social networks. Also, as soon as the Twitter takeover was announced, many users switched to Mastodon, a very similar app that offers a few additional features. In the early evening, after the massive and unexpected arrival of Internet users, the servers of the latter went down.
Indeed, many have argued that if Elon Musk fulfills all their projects, they will not stay on the platform, especially fearing impunity for hate speech. Another concern is anonymity on Twitter, which has been at the center of public debate for several months already and has been the source of much controversy. Anonymous account thus reported that it will be deleted when users need to authenticate.
But it’s not just users who fear the worst for Twitter. Many employees shared their concerns for the future of the platform or for their own businesses. On this last point, the current CEO wanted to reassure him by saying there would be no impeachment. It’s just that not many seem to share Elon Musk’s vision for their business. Therefore, it is possible that we will soon see a wave of disengagement within the firm.