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Twitter’s at all times been a bit chaotic, however its new proprietor and CEO, Elon Musk, is taking that to a complete new degree. He is been making dramatic adjustments since he purchased the corporate for $44 billion on Oct. 27, together with shedding half the workers whereas altering moderation insurance policies and unbanning extremist accounts.
Twitter’s saga with Musk, who additionally runs automaker Tesla and aerospace firm SpaceX, was chaotic even earlier than he took management. He signed a deal in April to amass the corporate however then tried to again out of it, main Twitter to sue him. After months of pretrial skirmishes, Musk closed the acquisition simply earlier than a court-ordered deadline.
After shedding half the workers and most contractors, he gave remaining workers an ultimatum final week to pledge to work below his new intense tradition or get out. Many, it appears, determined to depart. The evacuation of Twitter by hundreds of its employees has spurred worries of outages, hacks and disruptions.
This is the latest information about Musk’s takeover of Twitter:
Nov. 24: Musk broadcasts ‘amnesty,’ additionally fires engineers earlier than Thanksgiving
After tweeting a non-scientific ballot a day earlier, Musk introduced the outcomes on Thursday. Greater than 72% of three.16 million respondents voted “sure” to the query: “Ought to Twitter provide a normal amnesty to suspended accounts, offered that they haven’t damaged the regulation or engaged in egregious spam?”
“The individuals have spoken. Amnesty begins subsequent week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he tweeted Thursday, referencing a Latin phrase that interprets as “voice of the individuals, voice of God.”
Individually, Musk could also be within the operating for this yr’s Ebenezer Scrooge award after reportedly firing roughly 50 engineers proper earlier than Thanksgiving, in accordance with tech e-newsletter Platformer. The e-newsletter was corroborating a report from The Verge that some Twitter engineers acquired emails on Wednesday saying they’d been fired as a result of their “code just isn’t passable.” Twitter engineers had earlier been advised to ship code samples to Musk. His “hardcore” strategy to work is broadly identified inside Silicon Valley, together with at his different corporations the place he is demanded “minimal” 40-hour workweeks from workers.
In the meantime, the Monetary Instances reported that Twitter disbanded its workplace in Brussels, Belgium, after leaders there exited the corporate. The FT mentioned two of the executives had led Twitter’s efforts to adjust to the EU’s Digital Providers Act, which units guidelines round content material moderation, amongst different issues. Others reportedly managed the corporate’s relationship with European regulators.
Twitter did not instantly reply to requests for remark.
Nov. 23: Musk may reinstate extra suspended accounts
Musk floated the thought of providing “a normal amnesty to suspended accounts” so long as they have not damaged the regulation or engaged in “egregious spam.”
In a tweet, Musk polled customers in regards to the thought. It is unclear what number of accounts this potential change would cowl, however some customers have raised considerations that doing so would lead to extra hate speech and different dangerous content material spreading on the platform.
Musk has been bringing again accounts that Twitter suspended for violating its guidelines towards hateful conduct, COVID misinformation and glorification of violence. He reinstated former US President Donald Trump’s account after polling customers in regards to the thought. Twitter suspended Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots as a result of the platform feared his tweets may incite extra violence.
Nov. 22: Musk faucets iPhone hacker for assist
George Hotz, a hacker identified for being the primary individual to jailbreak an iPhone in 2007 and founding autonomous driving startup Comma.ai, accepted a 12-week “internship” at Twitter to assist enhance the social media community’s search capabilities. Hotz and Musk have had an advanced relationship. Hotz has claimed he turned down a job to work at Tesla, whereas Musk has dismissed the notion that Hotz and Comma.ai may create a greater autonomous driving system than Tesla’s Autopilot.
In the meantime, Twitter is present process a cost-cutting marketing campaign that The New York Instances stories contains refusing to pay distributors for excellent payments. The price cuts are concentrating on infrastructure, journey bills, software program companies and actual estates, the Instances stories, citing a number of unnamed sources.
On the similar time, The Washington Submit and business watchers Pathmatics and Media Issues For America reported that as many as half of Twitter’s high 100 advertisers have both introduced or seemingly stopped spending on the platform.
Nov. 21: Much more account bans elevate, Musk holds off on paid verification relaunch
Nonetheless extra once-suspended accounts continued have their bans lifted. On Nov. 21, US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s private Twitter account was unlocked, 10 months after being completely suspended for violating Twitter’s COVID misinformation coverage. However amid the parade of restored accounts, Musk claimed one ban will stay in place: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Later within the day, Musk tweeted that Twitter is “holding off” the relaunch of paid verification via its Twitter Blue subscription service till “there may be excessive confidence of stopping impersonation.” Twitter paused the brand new verification system earlier in November after customers who bought the verified blue examine marks posed as main manufacturers, politicians, athletes and different celebrities. Twitter was anticipated to relaunch paid verification on Nov. 29. Musk tweeted that the corporate will most likely use a distinct shade examine mark for organizations versus people.
Nov. 20: Extra suspended accounts revived, World Cup begins
After Musk reversed former US President Donald Trump’s everlasting ban, extra suspended accounts got here again on-line, together with that of Kanye West. Referred to as Ye after altering his identify final yr, West tweeted Sunday to his 32 million followers for the primary time in two weeks, after he had been locked out for an antisemitic risk.
Challenge Veritas, a conservative activist group identified for hidden-camera movies, was additionally reinstated, after being suspended final yr for disclosing individuals’s private data, a cost it denied.
Individually, the FIFA World Cup kicked off. The occasion sometimes spurs spikes in Twitter utilization, as individuals around the globe converge to enjoy real-time updates and posts associated to its matches. Within the flood of utilization, worries endured that Twitter could be tripped up by outages and disruptions because it copes with working with a fraction of its common workers. However the first day of the event appeared to proceed with out Twitter experiencing any main incidents.
Nov. 19: Musk lets Trump again on Twitter
Elon Musk’s long-expected reversal of Trump’s everlasting ban from Twitter got here Saturday, opening the door for the controversial politician to regain his social media megaphone.
Musk had polled customers on Twitter about whether or not Trump needs to be allowed again onto the platform. The ultimate outcomes of that ballot confirmed 51.8% in favor of reinstating Trump and 48.2% towards.
“The individuals have spoken,” Musk tweeted. “Trump will likely be reinstated.” An account with the acquainted identify @realDonaldTrump confirmed up on the location Saturday. Twitter, like different social networks, had booted Trump after the lethal Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots.
Individually, Bloomberg reported that Musk is contemplating firing extra workers on the gross sales and partnership aspect. He reportedly requested leaders, together with Robin Wheeler, the pinnacle of gross sales and advertising, to fireplace extra workers. Wheeler refused and misplaced her job (she lists herself as an ex-Twitter gross sales exec on her profile).
Twitter, which has laid off its communications division, did not reply to a query despatched to its its press e-mail.
Nov. 18: Musk asks engineers to return to the workplace. Beforehand banned accounts get reinstated
Twitter workers had been locked out of the corporate’s headquarters, however Musk reportedly despatched an e-mail asking for some software program engineers to go again into the workplace, in accordance with Bloomberg. Musk requested the coders to fulfill with him and supply examples of their coding work with a view to assist him higher perceive the software program.
Musk tweeted in regards to the firm’s coverage on speech saying sure tweets won’t have “freedom of attain.”
“Damaging/hate tweets will likely be max deboosted & demonetized, so no adverts or different income to Twitter,” he mentioned. “You will not discover the tweet until you particularly search it out, which is not any completely different from remainder of web.”
Screenshot by CNET
Musk adopted that tweet with one other saying conservative media character Jordan Peterson, right-wing satire web site The Babylon Bee and comic Kathy Griffin may have their banned accounts reinstated. Twitter booted Peterson and The Babylon Bee from the platform earlier within the yr over anti-trans tweets whereas Griffin had her account suspended final week for altering it right into a Musk parody account.
Musk additionally tweeted that Twitter hasn’t decided relating to former President Donald Trump’s account, however Yoel Roth, the previous head of belief and security at Twitter, mentioned in a New York Instances opinion piece printed Nov. 18 that the ex-president’s reinstatement was “close to certainty.” Twitter banned Trump from its platform in 2021 due to considerations his remarks may spark extra violence after the lethal Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Roth, who resigned from the corporate, wrote how Musk referred to as for extra censoring of tweets after a surge of hate speech confirmed up on the platform following his takeover. He additionally went on to elucidate the necessity for content material moderation was not solely essential to maintain advertisers completely happy, nevertheless it additionally was wanted to appease app retailer homeowners and authorities entities, such because the European Union, which have legal guidelines towards hate speech.
In a 24-hour ballot on Twitter, Musk requested customers if Trump’s account needs to be reinstated.
Twitter customers are nonetheless nervous in regards to the platform’s potential loss of life, particularly forward of high-traffic occasions such because the FIFA World Cup that kicks off on Nov. 20. The New York Instances, citing three individuals near the corporate, reported that some estimates confirmed that a minimum of 1,200 workers resigned on Nov. 17 after Musk gave them a alternative to remain or go away.
Person security is one other massive concern on Twitter. CNN reporter Oliver Darcy tweeted that the White Home is asking Twitter to elucidate the way it’s safeguarding “the security of People’ on-line information.” The White Home did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 17: Twitter customers worry finish is close to. Musk locks workplace doorways. Many workers take severance. Senators need investigation
Twitter customers began tweeting farewell remarks as #RIPTwitter trended on the platform within the US and different components of the world.
Fears a few potential collapse of the location got here after a whole bunch of workers determined to depart the corporate earlier within the day. One former Twitter worker advised The Washington Submit that there isn’t any longer a “skeleton crew manning the system.”
Twitter “will proceed to coast till it runs into one thing, after which it should cease,” the worker mentioned.
Musk tweeted a meme with Twitter’s brand on a headstone.
The remaining 3,500 or so workers who had been left at Twitter after hundreds had been laid off had a option to make on the finish of the day on Nov. 17: Stay below Musk’s plan for an intense “Twitter 2.0” or go away with three months of severance pay.
As much as 75% of remaining workers selected the exit, in accordance with Fortune and Bloomberg, creating confusion about what number of remaining individuals would have entry to the places of work. The Verge reported that those that left included some “legendary” engineers and coders.
Across the similar time, the corporate apparently locked the doorways to its San Francisco headquarters till Nov. 21, in accordance with tech e-newsletter Platformer.
Twitter, which can not have a public relations division, did not reply to a request for remark.
All of this occurred after Musk softened his stance on how he wished to run the brand new Twitter, a minimum of considerably. An e-mail despatched to Twitter workers on Nov. 9 mentioned distant work can be banned, however an e-mail to workers on Nov. 17 said that distant work is feasible if accepted, in accordance with a report from Bloomberg.
“All that’s required for approval is that your supervisor takes duty for making certain that you’re making a superb contribution,” Musk mentioned within the e-mail. He additionally desires workers to have in-person staff conferences a minimum of as soon as a month.
Scoop: I’m listening to far fewer than anticipated devs hit “sure”.
Elon despatched out an e-mail enjoyable distant working from the previous draconian coverage.
I am listening to he’s having conferences w high engineers to persuade them to remain.
Seems like enjoying hardball doesn’t work. Ofc it does not. https://t.co/VrPEn4IwBG
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) November 17, 2022
Twitter can also be going through extra scrutiny from US lawmakers. A gaggle of Democratic senators despatched a letter to Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the US Federal Commerce Fee. Outlined within the letter are what the legislators described as “alarming steps” taken by Musk together with new options which have been utilized by scammers, a rise in hate speech and the removing of cybersecurity executives throughout the firm, doubtlessly placing customers’ private information in danger.
The senators level out that these actions may place the corporate in violation of the FTC’s consent decree to guard this information as a part of a settlement with the fee in 2011.
“We urge the Fee to vigorously oversee its consent decree with Twitter and to carry enforcement actions towards any breaches or enterprise practices which are unfair or misleading, together with bringing civil penalties and imposing legal responsibility on particular person Twitter executives the place applicable,” the senators mentioned.
Among the many seven senators who signed the letter are Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Twitter violated the consent decree in Might when the FTC discovered the corporate used safety information like cellphone numbers and e-mail addresses to focus on promoting at customers. This led to a $150 million settlement paid by Twitter.
Musk appeared to finish the day poking enjoyable at his earlier warning that Twitter might go bankrupt.
How do you make a small fortune in social media?
Begin out with a big one.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022
Twitter has not responded to a number of requests for remark.
Nov. 16: Musk calls for ‘hardcore’ work tradition. Dorsey’s ‘nope’
Musk emailed all workers to define his imaginative and prescient for “Twitter 2.0,” which would require an “extraordinarily hardcore” tradition, with lengthy hours and excessive depth, in accordance with Pragmatic Engineer author (and former Uber engineer) Gergely Orosz. Staff should comply with this on Thursday or go away with three months of severance pay.
Scoop: Elon Musk simply despatched an e-mail to all workers outlining “Twitter 2.0″, writing it should”should be extraordinarily hardcore”. Lengthy hours, excessive depth.
Individuals must click on “sure” to substantiate being a part of this by 5pm ET tomorrow, else they get 3 months severance. Extra particulars:
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) November 16, 2022
Throughout testimony Wednesday over a Tesla shareholder case alleging that his wage as CEO is extreme, Musk additionally reportedly advised the courtroom that he doesn’t wish to be CEO of Tesla, and that his chief govt management of Twitter is a brief association.
“I count on to cut back my time at Twitter and discover any individual else to run Twitter over time,” he mentioned, in accordance with CNBC.
Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
When a follower requested Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey if he’d contemplate returning as CEO, Dorsey responded with a agency “nope.” There is not any indication that he acquired a suggestion to return — the follower’s question got here after Dorsey engaged in dialog about Twitter’s future and expressed confidence that the location would survive. His earlier tenure as CEO led to Might 2021, and he left its board of administrators in Might 2022.
Nov. 15: Employees fired for talking about Musk on Slack
Staff who criticized Elon Musk in Twitter’s Slack channels had been fired in a single day by way of e-mail, Platformer’s Casey Newton mentioned in a tweet. They had been apparently advised their “current habits has violated firm coverage.” It is unclear how many individuals had been affected.
Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 14: Musk desires larger Twitter video assist
Talking by way of video hyperlink, Musk advised enterprise leaders throughout the G20 summit in Bali that he desires to see Twitter assist extra longer-form video to herald extra content material creators. He additionally famous that he is been working “on the absolute most quantity … from morning til evening, seven days every week” because the acquisition.
Nov. 13: SpaceX reportedly buys main Twitter advert package deal
SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace firm, ordered a Twitter “takeover” promoting package deal for its satellite tv for pc web service Starlink, CNBC reported. It will seemingly promote the service on individuals’s Twitter timelines in Spain and Australia and might price greater than $250,000. It comes after some advertisers paused campaigns because of the upheaval at Twitter.
SpaceX did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 12: 1000’s of contract workers seemingly terminated
Twitter lower hundreds of contract workers, in accordance with Platformer’s Casey Newton, Axios and CNBC, with Newton reporting that round 4,400 of Twitter’s roughly 5,500 contractors had been affected. Most did not get any discover and came upon as a result of they misplaced entry to the corporate’s e-mail and inside communications methods, Newton reported.
The corporate did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 11: Twitter Blue subscription possibility vanishes
The choice to enroll in the $8 a month subscription service Twitter Blue is not obtainable on Twitter’s iOS app, as earlier reported by The Verge. The shift comes days after the service launched for Apple gadgets and previous to its Android launch. Making an attempt to subscribe on desktop directs you to the iOS app.
CNET can affirm that this manifests in two distinct methods: the choice to subscribe has vanished from the sidebar, and tapping the hyperlink offers you an error message.
Making an attempt to subscribe to Twitter Blue on the iOS app resulted on this message on Nov. 11.
Twitter/Screenshot by CNET
“Thanks on your curiosity!” it reads. “Twitter Blue will likely be obtainable in your nation sooner or later. Please examine again later.”
It is unclear why the corporate paused signups for the service, however numerous customers reportedly purchased verification to impersonate manufacturers and celebrities. An inside be aware posted on Slack mentioned it stopped individuals from subscribing “to assist tackle impersonation points,” in accordance with tech outlet Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer.
Twitter did not reply to CNET’s request for remark.
Nov. 10: Musk bans distant work and warns of chapter, legal professional says he is risking billions in FTC fines
Musk despatched his first emails to workers on Nov. 9, warning that “the financial image forward is dire.” He banned distant work until he personally accepted it, in accordance with Bloomberg, whereas The New York Instances reported that he advised employees “absolutely the high precedence is discovering and suspending any verified bots/trolls/spam.”
An legal professional on Twitter’s privateness staff posted a message within the firm’s Slack warning that Musk’s deal with monetizing its customers is making him take harmful steps, The Verge reported. It is apparently at explicit danger of incurring billions in fines from the Federal Commerce Fee within the wake of a Might settlement relating to the usage of private information to focus on adverts.
Twitter’s chief privateness officer, Damien Kieran; Chief Info Safety Officer Lea Kissner; and Chief Compliance Officer Marianne Fogarty all resigned, The Verge famous. Kissner’s departure confirmed her departure in a tweet.
Musk additionally reportedly advised workers chapter was a risk, Bloomberg reported, citing an individual acquainted with the matter. Two extra Twitter executives — Yoel Roth, the corporate’s head of belief and security, and Robin Wheeler, who led advertising and gross sales at Twitter — additionally resigned, in accordance with the report. Wheeler then determined to remain on the firm after Musk persuaded her to take action, Bloomberg reported. Roth, Wheeler and Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 9: Musk tries to reassure advertisers amid confusion about examine marks
Twitter’s rollout of a new verification system is messy. Twitter began including grey examine marks and an “official” label to high-profile Twitter accounts however then scrapped a number of the adjustments hours later.
In an hour-long dwell audio chat on Twitter later within the day, Musk mentioned the brand new labels are an “aesthetic nightmare when trying on the Twitter feed” and “one other means of making a two-class system.”
Esther Crawford, who oversees early-stage merchandise at Twitter, tweeted that the corporate would nonetheless be rolling out the “official” label however to authorities and industrial entities first. Twitter additionally began permitting individuals so as to add blue examine marks to their profiles in the event that they pay $8 a month for a Twitter Blue subscription. Scammers are already utilizing the brand new system to create faux accounts. Twitter mentioned it might droop accounts engaged in misleading techniques and impersonation.
Within the audio chat, Musk mentioned Twitter’s plans for a content material moderation council and selections by corporations to briefly pause their promoting campaigns on Twitter.
“I do not assume having hate speech subsequent to an advert is nice. Clearly,” he mentioned. Musk additionally mentioned he thinks it should take Twitter a few months to create a content material moderation council.
He signaled, although, that he is not planning to decelerate in the case of altering Twitter.
“The speed of evolution of Twitter will likely be an immense step change in comparison with what it has been prior to now,” he mentioned. “You recognize, if nothing else, I’m a technologist and I could make expertise go quick.”
Nov. 6: Paid examine marks could also be pushed again, Musk cracks down on impersonation
Paid verification reportedly delayed till after election
Twitter is suspending the rollout of verification badges related to an $8 month-to-month subscription service till after the midterm elections, in accordance with The New York Instances.
Impersonators get the boot
Musk warned that any Twitter account participating in impersonation with out clearly specifying that it is parody would get hit with a everlasting ban. In response, some customers modified their names to “Elon Musk,” which led to their suspension.
Nov. 5: Paying for examine marks, listening to from Dorsey
Pay-for-verification plan reveals up in iOS replace
Model notes for the most recent iteration of Twitter’s app for the Apple iPhone confirmed up within the App Retailer, with a What’s New part that pointed to the verification characteristic. The notes inform customers that “beginning at present” in the event you “join now” for an $8-a-month Twitter Blue subscription, “your account will get a blue examine mark, identical to the celebrities, corporations, and politicians you already observe.” It seems, although, that this system hasn’t truly kicked in but. Learn extra right here.
Dorsey weighs in
With information stories saying Twitter had laid off about half its workers, co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey took to the service to supply phrases of encouragement and to position blame on himself.
“I personal the duty for why everyone seems to be on this state of affairs: I grew the corporate dimension too rapidly. I apologize for that,” Dorsey tweeted. He additionally referred to as Twitter staffers previous and current “resilient” and mentioned, “I’m grateful for, and love, everybody who has ever labored on Twitter. I do not count on that to be mutual on this second.”
In April, Dorsey expressed his assist of Musk taking up the corporate, however he additionally mentioned that in precept, he thought nobody ought to personal or run Twitter and that it ought to as an alternative be “a public good.”
Nov. 4: Musk says Twitter has had ‘huge drop’ in income
Since Musk’s takeover, a number of main advertisers, equivalent to Tesla rival Basic Motors, meals firm Basic Mills and pharmaceutical company Pfizer, have briefly paused their advert campaigns on Twitter. Musk tweeted that Twitter has had a “huge drop” in income, which he blamed on activist teams pressuring advertisers. Musk did not say in his tweet how a lot Twitter’s income has fallen, nor did he determine the activists. Within the tweet, Musk additionally mentioned Twitter hasn’t modified its content material moderation insurance policies.
Musk additionally made an look on the Baron Funding Convention, the place he famous that Twitter grappled with income challenges earlier than the acquisition and that he tried to get out of the deal.
His remarks got here after Twitter began shedding workers. Musk later tweeted that there was “no alternative when the corporate is shedding over $4M/day.” With out specifying how many individuals had been laid off or what share of the workforce, Musk added they had been “supplied 3 months of severance.” Reportedly, about half of Twitter’s 7,500-person work pressure was laid off.
Civil rights teams that met with Musk spoke out in regards to the layoffs.
“For starters, there isn’t any approach to preserve election integrity in place if you’re chopping capability to do the monitoring in #TwitterLayoffs,” tweeted Rashad Robinson, president of racial justice group Coloration of Change. The group is a part of #StopToxicTwitter, a coalition of greater than 60 organizations which are urging main advertisers to pause spending and spend money on content material moderation. Companions listed on the coalition’s web site embody the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, Public Citizen, and the Union of Involved Scientists.
The Volkswagen Group and others reportedly paused advert spending due to considerations that adverts may seem alongside problematic content material on the platform.
Nov. 3: Musk seems to be for methods to chop prices, lawsuit filed
Musk desires to chop prices and make Twitter much less depending on promoting.
Reuters, citing two sources acquainted with the matter and an inside Slack message, reported that Musk directed Twitter’s staff to search out greater than $1 billion in infrastructure price financial savings.
The corporate is different methods to earn money outdoors of promoting, together with “paywalled” movies and paid direct messages, The New York Instances reported, citing two individuals with information of the matter and inside paperwork.
Musk is already making adjustments to Twitter’s work tradition. Bloomberg reported that Musk has eliminated “days of relaxation” from Twitter’s worker calendars and plans to cancel the corporate’s distant work coverage. Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Twitter reportedly advised workers in an e-mail that layoffs would occur. A lawsuit searching for class motion standing, accused Twitter of violating the federal Employee Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires massive corporations to offer a minimum of 60 days of advance discover earlier than mass layoffs, as beforehand reported by Bloomberg.
Nov. 2: Musk reportedly plans to chop half of Twitter’s workforce
Musk plans to chop about 3,700 jobs at Twitter, or half of the social media firm’s workforce, Bloomberg reported. Affected staffers are to learn of their destiny by Nov. 4, sources advised the information outlet.
Musk additionally plans to reverse the corporate’s current work-from-anywhere coverage, requiring remaining workers to report back to an workplace, the unidentified sources mentioned.
In a single state of affairs for decreasing Twitter’s workforce being thought-about, laid off employees will likely be supplied 60 days’ price of severance pay. Twitter customers have been bracing for layoffs since Musk introduced his bid for Twitter in April. One report indicated that Musk deliberate to chop 75% of jobs at Twitter.
Nov. 1: Musk suggests charging for verification
In a collection of tweets, Musk floated the concept that Twitter cost $8 per thirty days for a verified blue examine mark as a part of its subscription plan. The corporate’s subscription service, referred to as Twitter Blue, presently prices $5 per thirty days however does not embody verification as a perk.
Twitter presently does not cost to confirm accounts with a blue examine mark, and the badge is meant to be given out to accounts that the corporate determines are “notable, genuine and lively.” The blue examine mark is supposed to assist customers decide if an account of a star, journalist or different public determine is faux or not.
Musk tweeted that the worth can be adjusted by nation and that the subscription would come with “precedence in replies, mentions & search, which is important to defeat spam/rip-off,” in addition to the “skill to submit lengthy video & audio.” He additionally mentioned customers would see “half as many adverts.”
Earlier within the day, The Wall Avenue Journal reported that Twitter Blue subscribers will lose entry to ad-free articles from publishers like Vox, the Los Angeles Instances and Insider. There have been varied stories of various costs for a Twitter Blue subscription, with the corporate additionally reportedly having thought-about growing the subscription worth to $20 a month.
It is unclear from Musk’s tweets if verified customers must pay for a subscription or lose their blue examine mark. Musk tweeted there can be “a secondary tag” for public figures, just like the one now used for politicians.
The corporate’s chief buyer officer, Sarah Personette, additionally revealed in a tweet that she resigned.
Hello people, I wished to share that I resigned on Friday from Twitter and my work entry was formally lower off final evening.
— Sarah Personette (@SEP) November 1, 2022
In the meantime, Twitter mentioned it has eliminated 1,500 accounts since Oct. 29 for posting hateful content material.
Oct. 31: Official CEO, board dissolved, layoff plans, no Trump determination but, content material moderation restricted
Days after naming himself “Chief Twit” on his Twitter profile, Musk confirmed he is the corporate’s CEO via a securities submitting. Different adjustments to Twitter’s management are additionally underway. A associated securities submitting reveals Twitter’s board of administrators was dissolved the day Musk took over and recognized Musk because the “sole director” of the corporate.
He additionally reportedly plans to put off 25% of Twitter’s workforce, The Washington Submit reported, citing nameless sources.
Musk, who has beforehand mentioned he would reverse former US President Donald Trump’s everlasting ban from Twitter, remains to be getting questions on whether or not he’ll observe via on that. Twitter booted Trump from its platform in 2021 following the lethal US Capitol Hill riot due to considerations that his remarks may incite extra violence.
“If I had a greenback for each time somebody requested me if Trump is coming again on this platform, Twitter can be minting cash!” Musk tweeted.
Twitter additionally restricted some Belief and Security worker entry to inside instruments, Bloomberg reported, curbing their skill to average content material and tackle misinformation forward of subsequent week’s US elections. They’ll apparently nonetheless edit or take away posts that might lead to real-world hurt.
“That is precisely what we (or any firm) needs to be doing within the midst of a company transition to cut back alternatives for insider danger. We’re nonetheless implementing our guidelines at scale,” Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security and integrity, tweeted in response to Bloomberg’s story.
Oct. 30: Musk toys with examine mark adjustments and Vine revival, tweets misinformation
Musk has been busy suggesting adjustments to Twitter. He tweeted a ballot about whether or not Twitter ought to carry again Vine, a short-form video app that Twitter shut down in 2017.
Twitter additionally reportedly plans to cost $20 per thirty days for its Twitter Blue subscription service, and verified customers would lose their blue examine mark if they do not accomplish that in 90 days, The Verge reported, citing nameless sources. Platformer’s Casey Newton reported that Twitter is considering charging $5 a month to verified customers in the event that they wish to preserve their blue examine marks.
Musk additionally tweeted after which deleted a hyperlink to an article with a baseless conspiracy principle about final week’s assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of US Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco. The article got here from a web site referred to as the Santa Monica Observer. Reality-checking web site Media Bias/Reality Verify famous the outlet publishes right-wing misinformation.
Oct. 29: Twitter battles a surge in racist slurs
Twitter is attempting to fight nameless accounts that began to tweet racist slurs hours after Musk took over Twitter.
Twitter head of security and integrity Yoel Roth tweeted that the corporate has “seen a small variety of accounts submit a ton of tweets that embody slurs and different derogatory phrases.” He added that “greater than 50,000 tweets repeatedly utilizing a specific slur got here from simply 300 accounts.”
“Backside line up entrance: Twitter’s insurance policies have not modified. Hateful conduct has no place right here. And we’re taking steps to place a cease to an organized effort to make individuals assume we now have,” he tweeted.
Let’s discuss for a minute about slurs, hateful conduct, and trolling campaigns.
Backside line up entrance: Twitter’s insurance policies haven’t modified. Hateful conduct has no place right here. And we’re taking steps to place a cease to an organized effort to make individuals assume we now have.
— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) October 30, 2022
Oct. 28: Twitter to type content material moderation council
Advocacy teams have raised considerations that Musk’s management over Twitter would permit extra hate speech and misinformation to floor on the platform. Musk has vowed publicly he does not need Twitter to turn into a “free-for-all hellscape” however has additionally mentioned that he is “towards censorship that goes far past the regulation.”
Musk mentioned the corporate would type a content material moderation council with “broadly numerous viewpoints.” The corporate will not make any main content material selections or account reinstatements earlier than the council convenes, he tweeted.
Twitter will likely be forming a content material moderation council with broadly numerous viewpoints.
No main content material selections or account reinstatements will occur earlier than that council convenes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022
A securities submitting on Oct. 28 additionally famous that Twitter’s inventory is being delisted on the New York Inventory Change. Twitter, a publicly traded firm, turned a non-public one.
Oct. 27: Musk takes over Twitter, fires executives
Musk turned Twitter’s new proprietor and reportedly fired key executives on the firm, together with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of authorized coverage, belief and security.
Earlier within the day, Musk tweeted a letter to advertisers. The billionaire, who as soon as tweeted that he hated promoting, now posted that “promoting, when carried out proper, can delight, entertain and inform you.”
Musk met with workers all through the week, carried a sink into Twitter’s headquarters as a photograph op and adjusted his profile to “Chief Twit” earlier than information broke that the deal had been accomplished.
CNET workers contributed to this report.
