Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has been buzzing with the news of the day, so it’s no surprise that the social media company itself has been a big topic.
This happened after Elon Musk completed his $44 billion buyout of the company in late October, which was accompanied by a change in leadership and policies.
The CEOs of Tesla and SpaceX made offers to buy Twitter in April, saying they wanted to promote free speech and end Twitter’s permanent ban on certain users. After taking office, Musk fired thousands of people, attempted to implement a membership system, and announced plans to form a “content moderation council” on the social network.
He also ran a poll asking whether former President Donald Trump should be allowed to return – he was banned for inciting violence in the January 6 attack on the Capitol – and was eventually reinstated . Elon Musk noted early in his tenure that rapper Kanye West’s account was “restored by Twitter prior to the acquisition” and without his knowledge.
All my life I’ve tried to use music to bring people together. Yet it saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world.
I’ve decided to no longer use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked.— Elton John (@eltonofficial) December 9, 2022
He was reportedly fired in October after making anti-social comments, which were seen to be blocked by the site. West was back to tweeting by November 2, though he was suspended again in early December after he posted an anti-Semitic message inciting violence.
One good thing about Elon buying twitter is that I will *FINALLY* leave and stop being a complete menace to society on here. So it’s win win for you all really. 😂
— ❤️ Jameela Jamil ❤️ She/Her ❤️ (@jameelajamil) April 25, 2022
After Elon Musk’s takeover, dozens more employees left the company in response to his demands to do more work with fewer employees. As #RIPTwitter began trending, some familiar faces — or at least familiar names — announced their intention to leave or take a break from the platform. Elton John announced his departure on 9 December. Throughout my life I have tried to use music to bring people together.
The singer and activist wrote. “It still saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world. I have decided not to use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked.”
Original Content Yahoo Entertainment US.