Elon Musk Buying Twitter: What Does It Mean

Elon Musk is never away from the headlines. The CEO of Tesla, the company that produces high-end electric cars, is known for his unconventional business sense as also his unpredictable social media use for making announcements and talking about his detractors.

And now he’s the subject of discussion for his decision to buy Twitter. It has been announced that Twitter has accepted the Tesla CEO’s $44 billion offer to take the company private. As of today, the deal has been put on hold temporarily, but speculation is rife that it may be a negotiation tactic. If the deal does not come through, Musk will be required to pay a $1 billion breakup fee.

But what does Elon Musk buying Twitter mean for Twitter itself and to the world? Twitter going private may reshape the discourse on a social network used by more than 200 million people every day.

It is widely speculated that Elon Musk may use Twitter for his business image and business interests but it’s likely to happen in a way that’s not too much in your face.

What does it mean if Twitter is bought by Elon Musk

In communication to the press and on other platforms, Elon Musk has spoken about a few changes he would like to see.

Free Speech

Elon Musk might loosen up content rules on the social media platform in the name of free speech. He feels that there is excessive moderation on online platforms.

However, social network experts suggest that it could give license to harassers, trolls and others who abuse the platform to target people. There might be more misinformation than before especially around political events and matters related to public health and safety.

Open Twitter’s Algorithm to the Public

Musk supports placing Twitter’s algorithm on GitHub, a site popular with programmers for sharing computer code. He wants to make the software accessible to everyone that determines what content people get to see and how far can it reach.

However, there are fears that allowing anyone to see Twitter’s algorithm could give spammers and malicious actors a way to exploit the system.

Launch a War on ‘bot armies’

Combating the proliferation of bots on Twitter — fake accounts that are programmed to respond to tweets on certain topics — is another change Musk favors. This us especially around ghd bots promoting cryptocurrency hustles.

Create an Edit Button

For years, users on Twitter have been requesting an edit button and with Musk at the helm, it may be a reality.
One of the most requested product changes among Twitter users is an edit button.

However, this has started a debate among the heavy users of the platform. The fear among experts is that adding an edit button feature would be weaponized by people with malicious intent, who could use it to cover up abuse or harassment.

Scrap Advertisements

As of now, nearly 90% of Twitter’s revenue comes from advertising. With Musk in charge, he may not want to attract advertisers. Instead, he has said Twitter should move to a subscription model.

Is Elon Musk a Futurist Visionary

Elon Musk is considered a technology entrepreneur. The way he has run Tesla and brought the valuation to the high it is today is because of his vision and his ability to convey that vision to the movers and shakers of the industry. He’s considered charismatic and also accessible and that has been the root of his popularity.

It remains to be seen how much Twitter will change in his leadership.

Featured Image: courtesy marketwatch.com

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