What’s up with Elon Musk and Twitter?

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and now “Chief Twit” has made headlines over the last few months following his purchase of Twitter. This move has sparked a lot of speculation and excitement among Twitter users and tech enthusiasts alike.

Musk has always been a vocal user of Twitter, using the platform to share updates on his companies and engage with his followers. In fact, his tweets have often made the news and even caused controversy, such as when he tweeted about potentially taking Tesla private.

Now, with his purchase of Twitter, many are wondering what this means for the future of the platform moving into 2023. Will Musk use his ownership to make major changes to the way Twitter operates? Will he try to integrate it with his other companies?

Dado Ruvic/Reuters illustration

One potential benefit of Musk's ownership could be an increase in user engagement. As a highly active and popular Twitter user, Musk's presence on the platform could encourage more people to use it and interact with each other. This could lead to a boost in Twitter's user base and ultimately make the platform more valuable.

Additionally, Musk's expertise in technology and innovation could bring new features and improvements to Twitter. He has already hinted at plans to implement a "dislike" button, which has been a long-requested feature by users. He has also expressed interest in using Twitter to facilitate more direct communication between companies and their customers.

Of course, there are also potential drawbacks to Musk's ownership of Twitter. Some have raised concerns about his tendency to make controversial or inflammatory statements on the platform, and how that could impact the overall tone and reputation of Twitter. There are also concerns about Musk’s approach to free speech on social media, with Donald Trump, Kanye West and Jordan Peterson’s accounts reinstated. Originally banned for hate speech and breaching abuse rules, Musk believes left wing bias can be corrected by allowing all users access to the platform. However, this has a flow on effect to a key revenue stream — advertising. This seems to be an unforeseen consequence of allowing once banned users back on the app. A number of big brands have stopped using the platform, the Washington Post found that 14 of the top 50 (such as Jeep and Mars) have put campaigns on hold.

“Mars started suspending advertising activities on Twitter in late September when we learned of some significant brand safety and suitability incidents that impacted our brands,” Mars Candy

Despite the back-and-forth between Musk and Twitter, the issue of free speech on social media platforms is a complex and contentious one. On the one hand, platforms like Twitter have a responsibility to protect their users from harmful content, and therefore must have some level of censorship in place. On the other hand, the principles of free speech are a cornerstone of democracy, and it is important that platforms do not overstep their bounds and censor content simply because it may be controversial or offensive to some.

In the end, the solution to this dilemma may lie in a more nuanced approach to moderation. Rather than blanket censorship, platforms could implement more sophisticated algorithms that can better differentiate between harmful content and legitimate speech. They could also engage in more transparent and open dialogue with users about their moderation policies and practices.

Overall, the news of Elon Musk buying Twitter has generated a lot of buzz and speculation. It remains to be seen how his ownership will impact the platform in the long term, but one thing is for sure: the tech world will be watching closely to see what comes next.