In a few weeks, billionaire Elon Musk went from joking to buying the social platform Twitter for $44 billion. Which seems as much a whim as an eco choice...

What future for Twitter after its takeover by Elon Musk?

Elon Musk in 2019. © Reuters

Text by: Thomas Bourdeau Follow

6 mins

In a few weeks, billionaire Elon Musk went from joking to buying the social platform Twitter for $44 billion.

What seems as much a whim as a strategic economic choice will have important consequences for this social media.

As a result, the future and the power of this type of platform are questioned.

Freedom of expression is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital public square where vital issues for the future of humanity are debated,

" proclaims Elon Musk, who will soon be master on board the social network. .

He adds: “

Twitter has extraordinary potential, I will unlock it.

Yet behind the bombast, the power and financial deals that played out live for subscribers to the

account of Elon Musk

, visionary boss of

Tesla

and

Space X

, look like an episode of the

Succession
series .

The transaction itself seems disproportionate.

For comparison, Jeff Bezos in 2013 bought the

Washington Post

for 250 million dollars, today it is more than 180

Washington Posts

that Elon Musk offers himself with 44 billion dollars.

In order to understand this excess, we have to go back to 2018, to the origin of what seems to be the psychological trigger for this financial operation.

Because, when Elon Musk invokes freedom of expression, he thinks above all of his freedom.

The entrepreneur can't stand having limits set for him.

Yet that's what happened to him when he publicly tweeted strategic information about his electric vehicle company Tesla.

In his tweets, the South African-born leader questioned his entrepreneurial choices and caused his company's stock market prices to waver as a result.

Am considering taking Tesla private at $420.

Funding secured.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018

Disclosure of financial information violates the laws of the market.

Elon Musk was called to order by American regulatory bodies, he was even reminded that his corporate communication (and consequently his tweets) had to be

monitored and approved upstream

“Am I fired or am I rich?

It then became a personal matter for this visionary who went from annoyance to entreaty, from the desire to participate to taking power.

Last stroke of poker, the billionaire bought Twitter.

How much is it?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2017

Today, there are many questions about the future of the company, such as this from an employee of the platform: “

Am I fired or am I rich?

“Maybe both, some respond to him under his tweet.

Can someone just tell me if I'm rich or fired please

—Ned Miles (@nedmiles) April 25, 2022

In a statement,

Twitter says the proposal should be finalized by the end of 2022. same.

“His mission to expand the light of consciousness”

A true story of money, power, friendship and betrayal

, Nick Bilton recounts the adventures of this platform, created in 2006 and which has become essential worldwide.

We learn

that Twitter has experienced many upheavals, managerial about-faces and faced takeover attempts by Yahoo!

or facebook.

Al Gore, a big fan of the platform, predicted the immense power of influence of this communication tool that is Twitter on a global scale.

Since the noisy arrival of Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, one of the founders, affirms: "

I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness

", then he judges: "

Elon's goal to create a platform of maximum confidence and broadly inclusive is the right one (…) We are on the right path, I believe in it with all my heart.

However, it was he himself who decided to banish US President Donald Trump from the platform, even

if he regretted this decision

Elon's goal of creating a platform that is “maximally trusted and broadly inclusive” is the right one.

This is also @paraga's goal, and why I chose him.

Thank you both for getting the company out of an impossible situation.

This is the right path...I believe it with all my heart.

— jack⚡️ (@jack) April 26, 2022

Because the reactions to the takeover are not only economic, many fear for the future of Twitter, which has become an

essential

diplomatic tool : "
Musk has not only bought a very expensive new toy, but a global community that includes 330 million regular users.
Controlling such an important platform gives equally important responsibilities

,” commented Jessica Gonzalez, co-director of the NGO Free Press.

Space travel is easier than moderating Twitter.

Whatever the new shareholding, Twitter will now have to fully adapt to European rules,

" said Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, referring to the new regulation on digital services, Digital Services Act (DSA),

concluded on Saturday by EU lawmakers

and which will force the major platforms to better fight against illegal content.

He added: “

Whether it's on online harassment, the sale of counterfeit products, child pornography, calls for terrorist acts, Twitter will have to adapt to our European regulations which do not exist in the United States.

From cars to digital platforms, any business operating in Europe must comply with our rules.

And this, whatever the shareholding.

Mr. Musk knows this very well.

He knows the rules 🇪🇺 when it comes to cars and will quickly adapt to the #DSA.

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) April 26, 2022

According to Boris Johnson's spokesman: "

Regardless of their ownership, all social networks must be responsible, which includes protecting their users

" against harmful content.

How are they going to proceed now in the premises of Twitter?

What changes will be made?

Critical questions that seem intractable to some social media pundits, including

Nick Bilton who reports that

Elon Musk will learn the hard way that space travel is easier than moderating Twitter (referring to launch vehicle maker Space X and of Elon Musk's spacecraft).

"Worried about the power of large social networks on our daily lives"

Jessica Gonzalez criticizes Elon Musk for using Twitter to attack people he doesn't like, often in a "

childish

" way, encouraged and aided by his "

pack of loyal fans

The particular protrusions on Twitter of Elon Musk (85 million subscribers) are indeed not exempt from all reproach.

The richest man in the world shows himself as a spoiled child, even a stalker, who does not hesitate to make questionable jokes about Bill Gates' physique, inappropriate remarks on the dangers of the woke virus on Netflix...

According to

Marie Turcan, journalist at Numerama

, who noted the slippages of the billionaire: “

His tweets are very often stupid, sometimes dangerous.

What if we censor Elon Musk?

😏 https://t.co/bvdC5N95sh

— Marie Turcan (@TurcanMarie) April 25, 2022

Joe Biden, the president of the United States, said himself “

worried about the power of the big social networks on our daily lives

”, whoever the boss.

As for the former American president, Donald Trump, permanently suspended from Twitter in January 2021 for incitement to violence, he assured that no, he would not return to Twitter, even if according to him: "

Elon Musk is someone well

”.

Good ?

Good.

What does Elon Musk envisage for his future Twitter?

I want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing it with new features, making algorithms 'open source' to increase trust, defeating spamming bots, and authenticating all humans
by
working with the company and the community

. ".

🚀💫♥️ Yesss!!!

♥️💫🚀 pic.twitter.com/0T9HzUHuh6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022

He is also campaigning for the addition of an "edit" button to correct a tweet after publication and is also considering changes in the paid subscription formula.

What future for Twitter after its takeover by Elon Musk?

What future for Twitter after its takeover by Elon Musk?

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