Elon Musk Bought Twitter Just in Time for a Social Media Crackdown
2 years ago

Elon Musk Bought Twitter Just in Time for a Social Media Crackdown

Slate  

Elon Musk’s leadership decisions at Twitter can be described as drastic, uncoordinated, and volatile—and, after the events of last week, anticompetitive. As Musk and his predecessor Jack Dorsey have both acknowledged, a social media platform’s number of “likes” or users might not reflect the true audience of a tweet—a public post could potentially be visible to anybody on the internet. Outside its quantitative bar, the DMA also allows the European Commission to select “gatekeepers” based on more subjective metrics, such as if a platform has “a significant impact on the internal market”—although it is not yet clear whether regulators will focus in on Twitter. Back in the U.S., if AICOA does not cross the finish line this year, then it’s possible that it could resurface in the 118th Congress with a lower criterion for “covered platforms” that could include Twitter’s market equity and number of users. Furthermore, the EU’s newly enacted Digital Services Act will require almost all online platforms to allow users to appeal account bans—and if the European Commission decides to designate Twitter as a “very large online platform,” it will also have to regularly assess the platform’s “significant systemic risks” to values like “freedom of expression and information,” “respect for private and family life,” and “protection of public health … and civic discourse.” These provisions could lead to penalties for massive social media platforms that choose, as Twitter has, to arbitrarily suspend prominent journalists, greenlight COVID-19 misinformation, abandon their Trust & Safety Council, and fail to adequately employ content reviewers.

History of this topic

Australia PM fires back at Elon Musk’s ‘backdoor to internet control’ remark on social media ban: ‘As the owner of X...’
Trending News
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Elon Musk confirms that he’s limiting people’s ability to share outside news on X
4 weeks, 1 day ago
News publisher flees Elon Musk’s X over ‘disturbing content’ after election
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago
‘Toxic’: Leading UK media house decides to stop posting on Elon Musk-led X
1 month, 1 week ago
Twitter: Want to fight Donald Trump and Elon Musk? Delete your X accounts.
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Set Off a Race to the Bottom
54 years, 11 months ago
Digital Future Daily
1 month, 2 weeks ago
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1 month, 2 weeks ago
Twitter brain drain: Academic exodus followed Elon Musk’s takeover
2 months ago
"Misinformation superspreaders": Elon Musk is personally boosting conspiracy theorists on X
2 months, 4 weeks ago
‘How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’ authors say platform is ‘a tool for controlling political discourse’
3 months, 1 week ago
Brazil blocks Musk’s X after company refuses to name local representative amid feud with judge
3 months, 3 weeks ago
World Federation of Advertisers discontinues small brand safety initiative after Elon Musk’s X sues
4 months, 2 weeks ago
EU takes Elon Musk's X to court over blue checks and ads
5 months, 1 week ago
Elon Musk tries to walk back ‘go f*** yourself’ comments to woo advertisers who fled X
6 months ago
Elon Musk’s X is especially vulnerable to an ad boycott
7 months, 1 week ago
From domestic violence to terrorism and war, social media is a thread that connects all the issues that now challenge us
7 months, 4 weeks ago
Elon Musk said something very rude and mean to advertisers. It’s because he wants Twitter to die.
1 year ago
Elon Musk's X reprimanded after disinformation safety feature scrapped
1 year ago
Why Elon Musk can’t stop himself from posting antisemitic tweets.
1 year, 1 month ago
Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with misinformation, advertising and usage decline
1 year, 1 month ago
Elon Musk bought Twitter one year ago. Here’s everything he broke there.
1 year, 1 month ago
Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with advertising, usage
1 year, 1 month ago
Elon Musk wants X users to pay $1 to post. It’s really about something more valuable.
1 year, 2 months ago
The chaos at X since Elon Musk’s takeover has gotten worse
1 year, 2 months ago
Commentary: Elon Musk bought Twitter just to break it. With a new war, we’re paying the price
1 year, 2 months ago
U.S. ad revenue at Elon Musk's X declined each month since takeover: Report
1 year, 2 months ago
Elon Musk-owned X will be ‘turning a profit’ in early 2024, says CEO Linda Yaccarino
1 year, 2 months ago
Elon Musk's X a ‘habitual non-compliant platform’, not following orders: Government
1 year, 3 months ago
Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, sues California over social media law
1 year, 3 months ago
Elon Musk’s social media site X sues California over the state’s content moderation law
1 year, 3 months ago
Musk threatens to sue Anti-Defamation League over X’s falling revenue
1 year, 3 months ago
Elon Musk vows to sue ADL for calling him antisemitic after he promoted antisemitic campaign on X
1 year, 3 months ago
Elon Musk blocks James Woods on Twitter after weekend spat
1 year, 4 months ago
Mark Zuckerberg promises more features for Threads as users leave the platform
1 year, 4 months ago
Elon Musk's X offers legal support for unfairly treated users
1 year, 4 months ago
"Straight out of the authoritarian playbook": Hate speech watchdog sued by Musk's X hits back
1 year, 4 months ago
X marks the lawsuit: Elon Musk’s social media company sues nonprofit highlighting site’s hate speech
1 year, 4 months ago
X marks the lawsuit: Elon Musk's social media company sues nonprofit highlighting site's hate speech
1 year, 4 months ago
Elon Musk threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets
1 year, 4 months ago
Musk threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets
1 year, 4 months ago
Column: Elon Musk has replaced Twitter with X — and an actual business with science fiction
1 year, 4 months ago
Twitter commits to safety amidst content concerns
1 year, 5 months ago
Elon Musk is ‘distracted’, a ‘top risk’ for Tesla, say investors: Report
1 year, 5 months ago
Elon Musk says Twitter has lost half its advertising revenue
1 year, 5 months ago
Elon Musk says Twitter’s ad revenue is down 50% and cash flow is negative
1 year, 5 months ago
Twitter threatens to sue Meta for hiring employees Elon Musk had fired
1 year, 5 months ago
AOC shares fear her Threads app was ‘bricked’ five minutes after joining Twitter rival
1 year, 5 months ago
‘Rate limits’ and Twitter chaos: What exactly is Elon Musk doing?
1 year, 5 months ago
'Thank goodness': Elon Musk reacts as Twitter-rival Thread's launch date confirmed
1 year, 5 months ago

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