Elon Musk triggered all kinds of reactions after buying 9.2% of the shares of Twitter. After announcing that the CEO of Tesla will join the board, some employees have already expressed concern They fear for the future of the company.
Agree with Reutersfour Twitter employees said Elon Musk would use his position on the board to influence usage policies. Employees think Musk’s view on moderation would help the trolling and abuse on the platform.
It’s no secret that Elon Musk is against current content moderation. A few days before buying shares of the company, Musk launched a poll asking if they thought Twitter upheld the principles of free speech.
“Given that Twitter functions as the de facto public square, failure to uphold the principles of free speech fundamentally undermines democracy,” Musk said. The CEO of Tesla launched a second Tweeter examination if a new platform was needed.
Elon Musk’s influence on Twitter decisions is real
Although the company claims that Elon Musk’s position on the board is advice and feedback, the evidence says otherwise. After announcing the stock purchase, Musk asked his followers if they wanted a button to edit tweets. Hours later, Twitter confirmed that they were working on implementing the feature, a feature they said took a year to develop.
“I find it hard to believe he has no influence. If so, why would Elon want to sit on the board?” said one of the employees. Workers fear not only that Elon Musk could influence content policy, but also company culture in the long run.
Twitter, like Apple and other Silicon Valley companies, promotes inclusion. Although Tesla is one of the best places to work for LGBTQ people, Musk has been accused of being transphobic for some tweets where he mocks from use of pronouns.
Freedom of expression would give way to trolling and disinformation
Another question that has analysts on their toes is the possibility of restore donald trump account. The former US president was banned from Twitter and other social networks in early 2021, after the Capitol bombing.
Some senators are calling for the return of Trump, who for years used Twitter as a platform to post content that violates the policies of the social network. “Will the new majority shareholder bring freedom of expression back to Twitter?” Asked Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, tagging Elon Musk in a Tweeter.
Freedom of expression advocated by Musk would not only open the door to trollingbut also misinformation. The tycoon described as fascism in quarantine for COVID-19 in 2020 and said the confinement was forced incarceration. A few weeks ago, he compared Justin Trudeau to Hitler for Canada’s handling of the carrier protests.
For now, employee concerns aren’t keeping Elon Musk awake at night, as there are bigger issues to deal with. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX break the law for failing to notify the SEC before buying Twitter stock, resulting in a $156 million profit for Musk.
