The big news for the past couple of weeks has been Elon Musk’s involvement with Twitter, from purchasing the largest individual share of the company to refusing a board position only to attempt to completely buy the company. Needless to say, it’s all been very dramatic.
So far, Twitter doesn’t seem too fond of the idea of being owned by Elon Musk. But what do our readers think? Should Elon Musk acquire Twitter?
Everything started when Musk purchased a nearly 10% stake in the company, which coincidentally preceded the announcement that Twitter is working on an edit button that the company would test “in the coming months,” likely on mobile devices, including the best Android phones. Twitter’s new CEO suggested in a Tweet that it may have resulted from Musk’s recent poll asking if there should be an edit button, although Twitter later stated that the decision had nothing to do with Musk.
Then, after refusing to join Twitter’s board, Musk put a bid to purchase 100% of Twitter’s common stock, essentially acquiring the company. This move came as a shock to many, with Twitter calling the move “unsolicited” and “non-binding,” resulting in the company adopting a poison pill in an attempt to block the proposal.
That said, it may not be enough to deter Musk. Shortly after the offer was announced, he explained in an interview why he decided to try and buy Twitter. He said that he wants to make Twitter a more trustworthy platform by making its algorithm open-source so that there’s no “behind-the-scenes manipulation,” particularly when it comes to moderation.
“I think it’s very important for there to be an inclusive arena for free speech,” he said in the interview. Musk explained that he is reluctant to use permanent bans, like the one enforced on former president Donald Trump, and instead prefers “timeouts.”
“If in doubt, let the speech exist,” Musk continues. “If it’s a grey area, I would say let the tweet exist… but obviously, in a case where there is a lot of controversy, that you do not necessarily want to promote that tweet.”
What do you think of Musk’s attempt to purchase Twitter? Do you think he should do it if it’s for the benefit of the platform? Or should he just drop it? Drop a comment on our Twitter and Facebook accounts and let us know what you think!
