Musk said it is ‘important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square’
Elon Musk warned advertisers on Thursday that Twitter cannot become a “free-for-all hellscape” under his ownership as he confirmed that his $44billion takeover of the company has moved forward.
The Tesla CEO sent a tweet to advertisers saying that while he wants the social media giant to become a “digital town square” it “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences”.
Musk said he wanted to reach out to advertisers “personally to share my motivation in acquiring Twitter”, because much of the speculation around why he wanted the company and what he thinks about advertising “has been wrong”.
Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022
Musk told advertisers that it is “important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence”.
“There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing an far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide in our society,” he wrote.
“In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fuelled and catered to those polarised extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.”
Musk said that is why he bought Twitter, “I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money.”
“I did it to try and help humanity, recognising that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”
Musk went on to say that the platform can’t become a “free-for-all hellscape” where anything can be said without consequences as it must be “warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature”.
Twitter staff are reportedly remaining on edge today, a day after Musk marched into the social media giant’s San Francisco headquarters carrying a kitchen sink.
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
Musk was later pictured speaking with some employees, reportedly denying rumours that he is culling three quarters of the staff.
But that did little to assuage the more than 7,500 employed by the social media giant.
As one Twitter employee wrote in an anonymous essay for Business Insider, those who remain at the company are worried about the Tesla CEO’s volatility.
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