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Almost a year has passed since Elon Musk acquired the social media site once known as Twitter. Since then, the billionaire has made it his mission to revamp the platform; his progress, however, has been a topic of heated debate.
It is not unheard of to have a well-established firm change its brand image. In the last couple of years, logos of countless brands have been adapted to be made more fitting to modern times; simplistic and elegant designs dominate the market, ranging from Google to McDonald’s. The latest addition to this list is X – formerly known as Twitter – which, over the summer, shed its characteristic feathers and became the white and black logo we must still grow accustomed to. Nonetheless, far from a simple stylistic decision, the evolution reflects months of change behind the social media app. Ever since its purchase by Elon Musk, the normal user experience has been affected, but there have also been changes behind the scenes. From reinstating freedom of speech as a top priority to the suspension of left-wing activists’ accounts, Elon Musk’s presence has not gone unnoticed. Now, is a safer platform for users in the making or do we stand before Musk’s very own playground?
Although Twitter has only been under Musk’s control since October 2022, the history of the business magnate with the social media app is not that recent. His official X account states that he has been a member since 2009 and the almost 160 million followers he has gathered speak of a long-lasting relationship (September 2023). While, prior to his investments in the app, he did not have enforceable authority, the reach and influence of his tweets were undeniable – something that he was aware of. As such, controversy has followed Elon Musk, as the seemingly innocent words he posted on the social media site had a very real impact, for instance, on the cryptocurrency market. In this sense, there are several tweets, mostly dating back to 2020 and 2021, in which he made cryptocurrency-related remarks. These tweets, although often not memorable (e.g., “Bitcoin is my safe word”, Musk, 2020), were translated into the financial markets. Therefore, something as simple as updating his Twitter bio to “#bitcoin”, would be followed by a $6,000 increase in the value of Bitcoin within three hours, according to a study published in 2021. While Elon Musk has stated that some of these tweets were merely jokes, one wonders about the implications of such market power.
Light comments and jokes, however, are apparently the modus operandi for Musk when it comes to the popular social media site. Since April 2022, when it was first announced that he had become the biggest shareholder of the company, the back and forth has been the only constant. Starting with Musk’s involvement in the board – at first, he accepted to join; then, he retracted – to the acquisition of the company, the billionaire’s statements cannot seem to be trusted. His initial unsolicited offer to buy Twitter was later put on hold – and even termination was attempted, which was followed by a lawsuit from Twitter’s side – only to then be finalised in October 2022, resulting in Musk as the new owner.
Under new ownership, the company has experienced its fair share of overnight changes, which, unsurprisingly, have been accompanied by controversy. Several new features have been introduced; some of them received mostly enthusiastic responses, such as Community Notes (which allows contributors to add context to misleading tweets), and, others, of which users have been critical. One prime example might be Twitter Blue, a system of paid verification available for users. However, far from only bringing “Power to the people!” for 8$ a month, as Elon Musk put it (2022), Twitter Blue was followed by a wave of impersonations and misinformation. “We are excited to announce that insulin is free now” published by a verified account impersonating Eli Lilly and Company, a famous pharmaceutical, gained the attention of thousands before being deleted. The day after, the company’s stock share price had decreased by almost 5%, according to Forbes. A coincidence?
Nonetheless, the changes introduced by Musk are not only responsible for confusion but hold the potential to become dangerous. Purposely spreading misinformation can lead to grave consequences, especially when it is done targeting vulnerable groups or delicate topics. Under the motto of ‘freedom of speech’, previously banned accounts, such as users involved with far-right groups (e.g., Patrick Casey), have been reinstated, giving them a platform to express themselves by, for example, sharing conspiracy theories about COVID-19 or the US Presidential Election (CNN Business, 2022). A known controversial figure who made a come-back was Donald Trump – who had been banned since 2021.
In the meantime, the company also drastically reduced its staff: from around 8.000 employees to only 1.500. One of the targeted departments was content moderation, which oversaw the implementation of hate speech policies. The reduced workforce, among other changes introduced under Musk – mainly Twitter Blue and the “amnesty” to suspended accounts –, the Anti-Defamation League claims (2022), have led to a significant increase in, for instance, antisemitic posts on X. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2023), they have more than doubled.
Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated” (Musk, 2022).
Misinformation, far-right accounts reinstated and an increase in hate speech-related posts; is this freedom of speech? The predominant narrative that Musk has been eager to sell since the purchase has been based on democratic values. The aim is clear: X, an improved version of Twitter. However, the improvements seem to be reserved for only a few. The “lords & peasants system” – as he put it – not forgotten, only restyled. Musk’s very own playground in the making is an opportunity for all those who share his vision and ideals, while historical minorities are at risk. The voices of far-right-wing advocates are amplified; left-wing activists are banned from the platform. Elon Musk rolls the dice and decides what the future of our digital town square will look like tomorrow and, thus, becomes the sole judge, jury, and executioner.
References
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Anti-Defamation League (2022). Extremists, far right figures exploit recent changes to Twitter | ADL. https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/extremists-far-right-figures-exploit-recent-changes-twitter
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