After a succession of rumors and hypotheses and an initial resistance from the board of directors, the news has become official: Elon Musk is the new owner of Twitter . The microblogging platform, which is among the most famous and used social networks in the world, was bought by the current richest man in the world at a cost of 44 billion dollars.
A tempting offer that was impossible to refuse. Since the first hours after the acquisition, Musk has made no secret of wanting to revolutionize Twitter to allow it to keep up with the times and to function as a free virtual square, where everyone can express their ideas, opinions and points of view.
In reality, his statements had obvious consequences right away , also sparking noisy controversy and some protest activity. Many, including users, advertisers and organizations, have expressed resistance to Musk’s new project. But what are the changes to be expected from Twitter?
Elon Musk: Why he bought Twitter and his first moves
An extravagant personality, Elon Musk is an established entrepreneur known all over the world and who is fully included in the list of the richest men on the planet. With a precise vision of the future he would like to live in, he has carried out numerous projects aimed at innovation and the future.
After co-founding PayPal (purchased by eBay in 2002) and creating the company Space Exploration Technologies Corporation , known as SpaceX , to develop an architecture for interplanetary mass transit , he joined Tesla in 2004 , a multinational company that produces high-quality electric vehicles and solar panels.
Solarcity, OpenAi, Neuralink, and more are all companies Musk founded or led to realize his vision and plans . Twitter, of which he was already the majority shareholder since April 2002, is only the latest of the goals he has achieved.
Elon Musk has decided to place trusted people at the top. According to the Washington Post it would be Jason Calacanis, Jared Birchall, Alessio Spiro, Sriram Krishnam and David Sacks.
Elon Musk, through a series of tweets, explained the reasons that led him to buy the social network. The main purpose is to ensure freedom of speech for web users and subscribers to the microblogging platform. He has not hidden that to do so he will have to make improvements and make changes, some of which have raised numerous controversies.
Elon Musk: a paid plan, the escape of users and the concern of the UN
Soon after buying Twitter, Elon Musk initiated a series of layoffs , first of four executives and then of about half of the company’s employees. Actions that were not welcomed, but which were deemed necessary in order to allow the platform to have enough profits to be able to improve.
Many users have chosen to suspend their account or delete their profile, while some advertisers have blocked their activity on the social network . The UN has decided to send a letter to Musk, asking the entrepreneur to protect privacy, freedom of expression and to try to limit, as far as possible, the spread of fake news and harmful content.
Despite these resistances, Elon Musk is determined to carry out the planned changes . In all likelihood, a Twitter subscription plan will be introduced, which won’t be exclusively free. The cost should be around 8 dollars a month and will have to be borne by all those who want the blue check indicating a verified profile.
Elon Musk’s Twitter: More Customization and Open Source
Elon Musk hopes for more control and personalization of his feed, in order to allow users to have a satisfying experience on the platform and decision-making power on what to view and read.
At the moment it is possible to decide the chronology to adopt , i.e. which tweets to see as a priority. To do this, simply open the Twitter application, go to your home page and select the stars at the top right of the screen. You can choose whether to see the latest content as it is shared or recommendations from the platform.
You can change the settings for the explore and search functionality, choose your preferred language or additional ones, and increase your security by managing blocked and muted accounts.
The way forward, for Elon Musk, is that of open source , with codes that each user can consult to check how they work and understand if they have a minimum of computer knowledge. The entrepreneur wants to unravel the algorithm and limit its ability to overly intrusively control and drive the user experience on the platform.
Open source, according to the owner of Twitter, would allow users to have greater confidence in the platform.
Surely there will be other small improvements, such as the ability to edit your tweets after publishing them, a feature that is already being tested. Elon Musk will have to overcome many mistrusts and be able to stop the flight of users, especially the most famous ones who have decided to abandon the platform after its purchase with great resonance.
However, the entrepreneur’s enthusiasm is skyrocketing and he seems to have no intention of being held back by current resistance: his goal is to allow users to be able to receive information, comment on it and help disseminate it in a safe and stimulating space. Will he be able to reach it?
