“Important to the Future of Civilization” – Musk Turns to Twitter Advertisers

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter isn’t over yet. But now the tech billionaire is already getting involved in the affairs of the online network.

In an open letter to Twitter advertisers on Thursday, the Tesla boss reiterated his motives for the $44 billion deal and dismissed concerns that the platform could become a hotbed of hate speech.

He explained:

There is a great danger of social media splitting into far-right and far-left echo chambers, generating even more hatred and dividing society, Musk said.

That’s why he bought Twitter. Not because it’s easy or because it makes him a lot of money:

But he also sees that not achieving this goal is a real possibility, despite all efforts.

Nevertheless: Twitter should not become a “place of horror” where everything can be said without consequences. The platform should be “warm and inviting for everyone”. Musk had previously justified the purchase with a desire to strengthen free speech.

Critics are concerned that the change in ownership will result in less moderated content on the network, fueling hatred and hate speech. That could deter advertisers.

deal for completion

The deal has not yet been officially finalized and confirmed by Twitter. But the fact that Musk is already meddling in management and speaking in the past tense of buying Twitter points to imminent execution.

The transaction must be completed on Friday at 5 p.m. local time (23:00 CEST) or the deal, which has been controversial for months, will still go to court. This deadline was imposed by a judge to regulate the takeover that has been disputed between Musk and Twitter for months.

Musk had actually reached an agreement about the acquisition with Twitter in April. In July, however, he rescinded the deal over alleged misrepresentations by the company about fake accounts. Twitter filed a lawsuit for compliance with the purchase agreement and a lawsuit was planned to resolve the dispute. At the beginning of October, Musk surprisingly renewed his offer to buy, but made it a condition that the lawsuit would be settled.

(sda/awp/dpa)