Questions about the future of Twitter

The deal to acquire Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has raised questions about the future of the social network. Although Musk, the billionaire already active on the platform, promised more freedom and transparency, this idealistic vision may bring more responsibility to users.

Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, outlined his vision for Twitter, including promoting trust in a network that is “essential to the future of civilization” and “liberating its potential”, but some of its goals raise concern. Musk often uses his private account, which is followed by 84 million users, to ridicule and even insult those who disagree with him, as a British rescue worker described by the billionaire as a “harasser” after he touched on the loopholes included in Tesla’s idea of ​​​​rescuing children from a flooded cave in Thailand years ago.

Kayla Garrett Wagner, a professor of communication law at Syracuse University, says that “Twitter”, led by Musk, does not represent any victory for freedom of expression, adding, “It is like the Old West controlled by an elite that does not represent the voices of minorities.” And she adds, “Users will encounter annoying and even dangerous messages.”

Musk also promised to get rid of spam, verify users’ identities, and improve transparency rather than “highlighting or blurring tweets is an opaque process.” In theory, these ambitions satisfy everyone, including the current administrators of the platform. But experts pointed out that addressing these measures in words is much easier than implementing them.

The deal is not expected to face serious scrutiny from US competition authorities; Because Musk’s main business interests, such as electric car companies and the missile industry, do not compete with Twitter.