Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover

The $44 billion takeover will put Elon Musk’s free speech absolutism into practice.  

Money where his mouth is 

Despite attempts to throw Elon Musk off his Twitter bid, the entrepreneur has made an offer the board couldn’t refuse. His takeover could mark a huge change in the way the platform is run; for several years, Twitter has increasingly been shifting its content moderation towards stricter rules and regulations, but we all know Musk himself isn’t so keen. 

There were rumors he might start his own platform, but clearly starting something from the ground up proved too much of a challenge. Users will now need to keep their eyes firmly on further statements from Twitter and Musk HQ to see how exactly the platform will change.  

The public town square 

Suggested ideas could see crypto incorporated into the platform, or a tipping system that lets some users earn income on the side. But the key change will almost certainly be the approach to free speech. And yes, Donald Trump is sitting up and very much paying attention.  

Musk’s beef has long been free speech, or a lack thereof. He hasn’t been hot on the stricter content regulations, and is eager to see a broader approach to tweeting put into action. Noble? Some of his fans certainly think so, but others are rolling their eyes.  

In the latter half of 2020, Twitter took action on a record 1,126,990 accounts that were responsible for hate speech – an increase of 77%. If that level of hate already exists on the platform, people are wondering what a less prescriptive approach might mean for them.