Elon Musk Is Buying Twitter for US$44 Billion
What will happen to the social networking platform?
It has happened, and there’s no going back. Twitter has accepted the offer of Elon Musk of US$44 billion (about AU$61.3 billion). It means that many changes will happen on and to the platform, including moderating free speech. It might mean allowing controversial voices like Donald Trump to be back.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has previously criticized Twitter for its moderation of speech on several occasions. He said, “Freedom of 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.”
Expert Opinion
Dan Ives, a Wedbush analyst, says Twitter users can expect “a shake-up.” Talking about the upcoming transformation, he said, “I think, ultimately, this is really going to be a 12- to 18-month project to try to transform Twitter.”
Twitter’s Opinion
Twitter’s board of directors’ chair, Bret Taylor, believes that the company will operate as it has been until the deal is closed. He said, “I think we feel very comfortable that [the deal] gives this team the ability to continue to make the company successful in between signing and closing the transaction.”
Will Twitter Change for Users?
After Elon Musk’s acquisition, the platform is expected to change considerably. Musk has already shared what changes he will be bringing to the platform in a series of tweets in the last few weeks. The list of upcoming changes will include and not be limited to:
- New features
- Defeating spam bots
- Human authentication
- Making Algorithms open source
- Implementing free speech
- An edit button
Will Donald Trump Return to Twitter?
After the acquisition of Twitter by Musk, people are speculating whether controversial figures who were once banned from the platform would get to activate their accounts once again. The list of controversial figures includes former US President Donald Trump.
However, Trump has stated that he will not be rejoining Twitter. Instead, he will create his own platform, Truth Social. Last October, he stated, “I am not going on Twitter. I am going to stay on Truth. Appreciating Musk, he said, “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it, and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on Truth.”
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