‘The bird is freed’

USD students discuss Elon Musk buying Twitter

SALENA CHACON / ASST. NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Elon Musk, founder of companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, bought Twitter in a $44 billion deal finalized on Oct. 27. Following this acquisition, Musk fittingly changed his Twitter bio to “Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator,” as many Twitter users were vocal about their grievances.

Following the buyout, Musk made Twitter a private company. This switch means he is not obligated to share as much information about the status of Twitter as he would if it had remained public. Musk took over Twitter with significant financial troubles, according to the New York Times, and his decision to privatize Twitter will potentially alleviate public scrutiny over finances. 

In addition to making Twitter private, Musk already made large staff cuts, eliminating around 3,700 jobs. According to the New York Times, these job losses were sudden, and many employees were not explicitly told that they were laid off, causing confusion and anger. Musk cited that the reason behind these cuts were because Twitter was rapidly losing money.

Major changes have yet to be implemented. Musk claimed to be waiting until after the midterm elections to begin making developments on the app. This decision was solidified after a discussion between Musk and civil rights groups, according to the New York Times. 

Among some of the changes Musk wants to make to the app are a loosening of language restrictions, less ads and an $8 a month charge to remain verified. 

USD sophomore Julianna Escamilla uses Twitter to scroll through headlines and as her first major source for breaking news. However, Musk buying the app has caused her to doubt whether she should be using it as frequently. 

“Now that I know [Musk] is the one that owns it, I definitely use it less,” Escamilla noted. “I’m having a hard time processing the fact that he bought Twitter.”

USD sophomore Lauren Zweber is also a Twitter user, and was similarly shocked that Musk took over.

“I think it’s a little weird,” Zweber said. “I had heard before that he only wanted to buy it so that he can control what’s said on Twitter, because I know whoever owned it before was deleting stuff that was spreading misinformation. And I heard that Elon Musk did not like that, so he’s buying it so that everyone can just say what they want.”

Musk revealed his intentions of buying the app in a Tweet directed toward advertisers, who were unsure of whether they should continue placing ads on the app due to uncertainty around  Musk’s plans for Twitter.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk wrote in a Tweet on Oct. 27.

In this announcement, Musk voiced his fears that social media is becoming a breeding ground for political extremes, and that this polarization is limiting dialogue between both sides. 

The dialogue Musk wants to encourage is also meant to be less restrictive, as Musk is a staunch supporter of free speech. The day after he bought Twitter, he tweeted, “Comedy is now legal on Twitter.”

Some Twitter users, like Zweber, are concerned that this move toward more freedom in what can and cannot be said on the app will cause hateful speech to proliferate. 

“Everyone can say what they want, but when it’s spreading misinformation and conspiracies, that does more harm than good,” Zweber expressed. 

Escamilla pointed out that a dangerous aspect of less restrictive dialogue is its ability to alter beliefs or opinions, regardless of its accuracy. 

“I know that a lot of people, especially the people that use Twitter, are easily influenced and so I think when you don’t have a censor on false information, people’s opinions can be influenced,” Escamilla said.

Although Musk wants the app to become a space where people can freely voice their opinions, he emphasized on Twitter that content will still be monitored. 

“Twitter’s content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence,” Tweeted Musk on Nov. 1.

One feature that Musk voiced support for on Twitter is Birdwatch, in which users can sign up to review information written in tweets, which can clarify content that is inaccurate or deceptive. Birdwatch notes will be featured along with the tweet if the note receives feedback from other contributors that it is necessary.

In addition to content inspection, Musk plans to charge users $8 a month to be verified. 

USD sophomore Noah Huang does not blame Musk for charging for verification statuses.

“He deserves it; it’s kind of funny seeing a billionaire spend billions of dollars,” Huang said. “There’s already been people who have taken advantage of trying to impersonate Elon Musk, so now that they have to pay for their verification, it’s biting them back.”

Musk has not addressed safety concerns on Twitter regarding paying for verification. His main motivation for this charge is to change the power dynamic of the app, regarding the current verification system as one where those verified by the app have power over those who aren’t verified. 

Celebrities, such as prolific writer Stephen King, have spoken out against Musk on Twitter, claiming that they would not pay for verification. Others have cited concerns about being impersonated. 

Musk is also firm in his stance on lessening advertisements. Although ads make up the majority of the money Twitter generates, Musk insists that lessening the number of ads while increasing their relevance to the user will make ads something enjoyable and not annoying.

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you,” Musk Tweeted. 

Changes in language, staff, verification and advertising are the main avenues Musk is navigating in his new role as the owner of Twitter. Musk’s takeover has called into question the validity of social media as a productive means of dialogue, both politically and otherwise. 

Many students, like Escamilla, mainly use Twitter as a means of learning new information. With changes to one of her significant news sources, Escamilla doubts whether social media can be trusted. 

 “It’s almost hard to believe what’s on social media all the time,” Escamilla admitted. 

The reality and impact of these changes will be seen as Musk continues to unroll his plans for the app.