On the other hand, Musk replied sarcastically to the Saudi prince, saying: “Interesting. I only have two questions, if I may. How much of Twitter does the kingdom directly and indirectly own? What is the kingdom’s view of journalistic freedom of expression?”, in reference to Riyadh’s control of the media and communication sites in the country and even in the Arab region, in addition to the low ceiling of freedoms compared to the rest of the world, and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi years ago.
In a letter to Twitter CEO Brett Taylor, Musk said he invested in the platform because of its pivotal role in “free speech around the world,” which in his opinion constitutes a “social positive for functioning democracies.” He added, “But, since I made my investment, I realized that the company is not thriving and does not fulfill its social duty in its current form,” suggesting that Twitter should be withdrawn from the New York Stock Exchange.
Forbes figures indicate that Musk’s personal fortune is approximately $274 billion, making him the world’s richest person. Musk is active with private photos on Twitter, where his account is followed by regarding 81.6 million users. Musk was scheduled to enter the Twitter board of directors a few days ago, but the general manager of the social network, Parag Agrawal, announced on Monday that Musk eventually refused to get a seat on the board.
Musk’s upcoming acquisition of the platform will change the whole concept of freedom of expression online, as well as change global politics and influence elections in democratic countries. Description of the center “Media Research Center” that specializes in analyzing the performance of the media in general, the acquisition, if it occurs, that it will be the largest political event in the United States since the 2020 elections, because it may lead to the liberalization of conservative voices, including former President Donald Trump, who suspended his account and banned From Twitter, as well as stopping it on the rest of the major social media.
Twitter is seen as the most strict among the communication sites in terms of censoring conservative voices, especially the big political names that tend to the far right, not only in the United States but in the world, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and members of the British Parliament. Even in the US Congress. Twitter has repeatedly denied censoring that content and has talked regarding its algorithms in this regard. But conservatives in the United States in particular are talking regarding Twitter’s alleged bias towards leftist politics.
According to the American “Politico” magazine, A number of US lawmakers have shown great enthusiasm for Musk’s control of Twitter. And while Trump previously said he would never return to the podium, he would probably jump immediately to his old account if Musk really took control of Twitter.
Emron Brucking, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said: newspaper “The Hill” Musk’s control of Twitter will completely change the meaning of social media, because his influence will be transmitted to the rest of the competing platforms. Other wealthy conservatives might similarly consider using their wealth to control and influence major platforms.
According to the newspaper, Musk’s view of freedom of expression without restrictions will open the door to all kinds of racism, personal harassment, hate speech, and calls for violence and intimidation, from politicians and others, from which Twitter and its likes have suffered over the past years. Thus, Twitter will become an unsafe place for many users and individuals.
for its part, The Washington Post reported Several employees of Twitter, which is known for its liberal workforce and flexible work environment, have expressed their displeasure with Musk. One said, “People are clearly frustrated because the staff seems to be just a fringe issue.”
“Musk taking over Twitter would be a nightmare for many employees who worked under the Dorsey system and Twitter,” said Daniel Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at financial services firm Wedbush Securities, referring to former CEO Jack Dorsey.