Status: 29.10.2022 09:04 a.m
After taking over Twitter, billionaire Musk announced a panel to make key decisions about content moderation. The first companies are unsettled and are cautiously distancing themselves from Twitter.
After the takeover of Twitter by high-tech billionaire Elon Musk for the equivalent of around 44 billion euros, it is unclear how the short message service will develop under him in the future. As a first content-related decision, Musk announced on Twitter that he wanted to create a committee that would make central decisions about moderating content. In addition, the committee should deal with the handling of blocked users. Musk did not initially give details of when the body would be set up and how it would be composed.
“We haven’t changed anything yet”
Until this body is used, however, there will be no changes to the content of Twitter, Musk wrote. No changes have been made yet.
Numerous Twitter employees could be fired
Musk had already made the first personnel decisions shortly after taking over the company and resigned Twitter boss Parag Agrawal and other important executives. The US media first reported on it – Musk later confirmed the relevant information on Twitter.
It is true that Twitter is an extremely important platform because it is used by many politicians and other influential figures. However, the network only has around 238 million daily active users, which is significantly fewer than other platforms such as Facebook. Also, Twitter is in debt and has never been truly profitable.
Musk had Twitter delisted shortly after the takeover. He had previously announced this step.
Musk needs to get Twitter back on track financially
Musk’s biggest problem is probably getting the company back on track financially, says tech journalist Kara Swisher in an interview with TV station MSNBC. She explained:
Many tech companies are currently experiencing a powerful headwind because customers are cutting back on advertising, and when Google has a cold, Twitter gets pneumonia.
Since Twitter is a private company, Musk could say in the future that the company is doing well – “but we no longer have any insight,” explained Swisher.
Fear of increased hate speech and false information
Critics fear that Musk could drastically scale back content moderation to fight hate speech, online bullying and the spread of misinformation. The pugnacious entrepreneur presents himself as a radical advocate of the right to freedom of speech and has in the past accused Twitter of restricting freedom of expression too much. Observers warn that under Musk, extremists and conspiracy theorists could let off steam undisturbed on Twitter in the future.
Roger McNamee, one of the early Facebook investors and now a big critic of the so-called big tech companies, also believes that the takeover could be problematic. Speaking to CNBC, he said Twitter has long been a “horribly run business and a place of hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories, a threat to national security.” He fears that we will now see even more of the unpleasant side of Twitter.
EU Commission: Twitter must continue to comply with EU rules
Meanwhile, the EU Commission warned Musk that Twitter would have to comply with EU rules in the future. “In Europe, the bird flies according to our European rules,” said Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton. He referred to new rules for online platforms that were recently finally adopted, with which, among other things, hate messages and false information are to be tackled.
General Motors is withdrawing from Twitter
The uncertainty surrounding the development of the content of the short message service is also affecting companies. The US automaker and Tesla competitor General Motors announced that it would “temporarily” suspend its paid ads in the online service. A spokesman said: “We are speaking to Twitter to understand the platform’s direction under its new owner.” However, he added that interactions with customers on Twitter should continue.
Trump doesn’t want to go back to Twitter
Ex-President Donald Trump reiterated earlier statements that he does not want to return to Twitter – even if it should be possible with Musk as the new owner. Trump was banned from Twitter after the US Capitol was stormed in early 2021.
Instead, he will stick with his own service, Truth Social, Trump told Fox News Digital. “I like it more here,” Trump said. “I like Elon, but I’m sticking with Truth.” Trump’s network Truth has so far only had a few users – its reach there is correspondingly small.
With information from Katharina Wilhelm, ARD Studio Los Angeles
The bird is free? – Elon Musk takes over Twitter
Katharina Wilhelm, ARD Los Angeles, October 29, 2022 09:16 a.m