Tag: Elon Musk

  • Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Donald Trump’s Twitter account appeared to come back online after a narrow majority of votes were cast in Elon Musk’s Twitter poll in support of re-allowing the former US president, who was barred from the social media platform following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

    In the survey, little more than 15 million ballots were cast, with 51.8 per cent in favour of restoration.

    “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk tweeted. During the poll, Musk acknowledged the vote numbers were being affected by automated “bots”, which are not people, and suggested there was a need to “clean up” Twitter polls from being influenced by “bot and trolls armies”.

    Earlier in the day, Trump didn’t seem all that eager to go back on Twitter. The former president was asked about it by a panel at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and he responded via video, “I don’t see any reason for it.”

    He declared that he would continue to use his brand-new platform Truth Social, an application created by his startup Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

    Following the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, Twitter made the remarkable decision to ban Trump, claiming that his postings were “very likely to incite and inspire individuals to mimic the criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol.”

    Trump announced his effort to win the presidency back in 2024 on Tuesday and hailed Musk, saying he had always admired him. Trump said that Twitter’s issues were “extraordinary” and that it was plagued by bots and false accounts.

    Musk’s self-described reputation as a “free speech absolutist” increased the potential that he might lift the restriction on users whose Twitter accounts had been permanently suspended from the network even as Musk was still finishing up his acquisition of Twitter. Experts on hate speech and disinformation have been preparing for the return of Trump, who accumulated more than 88 million followers during his first tenure on the network.

    Musk first stated in May that he intended to lift the ban on Trump, and many of Twitter’s advertisers were anxiously awaiting the timing of any comeback by the president.

    Musk hoped to convince consumers and advertisers that such a choice would be carefully considered by a content moderation committee made up of individuals with “widely different perspectives” and that no account reinstatements would take place before the panel convened.

    He said that unless there was a “clear process for doing so,” Twitter would not allow any banned users to reapply.

    And this week, Musk unexpectedly allowed comic Kathy Griffin to return after she had been suspended for violating his new policy against impersonation by changing her profile name to “Elon Musk” without making it clear that it was a parody account. Regarding the moderation council or the reinstatement procedure, nothing has changed.

  • ‘Do I reinstall Facebook or Snapchat?’ Twitter users concerned over rumours of site shutting down

    Twitter goes through upheavals since Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media app, users have expressed extreme apprehension over rumors the app will shut down.

    The bird app has announced that its office buildings will be temporarily closed, effective immediately and that offices will reopen on Monday, November 21.

    Twitter employees were informed about the closure in a letter, but the company withheld an explanation.

    The statement comes as rumours circulate that employees were leaving after the new owner, Elon Musk, told them to sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or quit.
    After the recent development, rumors of the micro-blogging website shutting down have taken hold of the micro blogging app.

    Twitter users are sharing their concern over the expected shutdown of the site while others are sharing usernames of their handles on other social media sites and some are sharing memes.

    Have a look at the reactions:

    https://twitter.com/servinghun/status/1593546957653508097

  • Twitter offices close as hundreds of workers resign, #RIPTwitter trends

    Twitter offices close as hundreds of workers resign, #RIPTwitter trends

    Twitter has announced that its office buildings will be temporarily closed, effective immediately and that the offices will reopen on Monday, November 21.

    Twitter employees were informed regarding the closure in a letter, but the company withheld an explanation for this.

    The statement comes as there are rumours that several employees were leaving after the new owner, Elon Musk, told them to sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or quit.

    Mr Musk stated that those who didn’t sign up by Thursday, November 17 would receive three months’ worth of severance money.

    The corporation said earlier this month that it will be laying off almost 50 per cent of its workers.

    The news that Twitter had temporarily closed its offices today coincided with indications that several employees had already left in protest at Mr Musk’s new contract terms.

    To announce their departure from the company, employees have begun tweeting using the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWorked and a saluting emoji.

    One former Twitter employee who wished to remain anonymous told BBC: “I think when the dust clears today, there’s probably going to be less than 2,000 people left.”

    They added that everyone in their team had been terminated.

    “The manager of that team, his manager was terminated. And then that manager’s manager was terminated. The person above that was one of the execs terminated on the first day. So there’s nobody left in that chain of command.”

    Around 7,500 people worked for Twitter before Elon Musk took over. Thousands of contract workers were also reportedly employed by the company, the majority of whom are believed to have been let go.

    Another person claimed that despite being ready to put in long hours, they had quit their job.

    “I didn’t want to work for someone who threatened us over email multiple times about only ‘exceptional tweeps should work here’ when I was already working 60-70 hours weekly,” they said.

    The richest person in the world acquired Twitter last month in a $44 billion deal, becoming the company’s CEO in the process.

    In response to a query on worries that Twitter was set to shut down after the notification about the closure of Twitter’s offices was sent, Mr Musk tweeted: “The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried”.

  • Twitter halts $8 subscription program after fake accounts abuse service to impersonate major brands

    Twitter halts $8 subscription program after fake accounts abuse service to impersonate major brands

    After users started misusing it to impersonate major companies and known personalities, Twitter appears to have suspended its $7.99/month Blue membership service, which allowed customers to pay for a verification check mark.

    This week, Twitter introduced a feature that lets users purchase a checkmark that had previously been used to denote a verified or official account in its iPhone app. Friday saw the removal of the Twitter Blue sign-up option from the iPhone app.

    The swift suspension of the service shows that, at least right now, CEO Elon Musk’s grand strategy to attract new user-based revenue isn’t succeeding as anticipated.

    According to NBC, due to the expensive subscription service, many pranksters started setting up fake Twitter accounts. It made the site even more conducive to false information, and numerous easily obtained checkmarks were used to discredit corporations, governments, and celebrities.

    According to a current Twitter sales employee, the company decided to reduce Twitter Blue verification due to the influx of impersonators.

    The employee, who wanted to remain anonymous because they were not allowed to speak on behalf of Twitter, said that a fake Eli Lilly account that tweeted that “we are excited to announce insulin is free now” caused a major issue.

    Before it was deleted, the tweet remained visible for several hours. Later, the genuine Eli Lilly account tweeted, “We regret to individuals who have received a false message from a bogus Lilly account.

    Following the fraudulent message’s publication, the stock price of Eli Lilly and other pharmaceutical firms, notably AbbVie, which was also the target of a Twitter impersonation, both fell precipitously. Major stock indices were then rising during a market surge.

    Another imposter mocked Elon Musk’s electric car company Tesla by mimicking the blue subscription checkmark for paid subscribers. In a barrage of insulting tweets, a user whose name looked to be “@TeslaReal” claimed, “honestly the 53 per cent reduction in stock price doesn’t phase[sic] us. We are the ones who are most knowledgeable about Crashing.

    For marketers, the impact of so many changes to the Twitter platform is a significant challenge; several have already suspended their expenditure there.

    Some users who had already paid for the programme also reported that their freshly acquired blue checkmarks had vanished from their accounts.

    No one from Twitter was immediately available for comment. Musk was unavailable for comment right away.

    The removal of Twitter Blue verified comes as Musk and Alex Spiro, who is currently serving as Twitter’s top lawyer, are attempting to reassure staff, clients, and regulators that they will abide by all legal requirements and the terms of an earlier FTC consent decree.

    “I cannot emphasize enough that Twitter will do whatever it takes to adhere to both the letter and spirit of the FTC consent decree,” Elon Musk wrote in a company-wide email that CNBC was able to get on Thursday night.

    In a subsequent email, Spiro stated that his team had communicated with FTC officials on Thursday and that Twitter would soon be subject to the agency’s “initial forthcoming compliance check.” He made it clear that any violations would be the responsibility of Twitter, not “those who work at Twitter.”

  • Twitter to roll out new ‘Official’ badge for prominent accounts

    Twitter to roll out new ‘Official’ badge for prominent accounts

    When it debuts its new $8 service with the blue verification badge, billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform Twitter will introduce an ‘Official’ tag for select verified accounts, including prominent media outlets, celebrities and authorities, its early stage products executive Esther Crawford said on Tuesday.

    Twitter’s safety and integrity chief, Yoel Roth, stated that the business delayed the introduction of the new Twitter Blue subscription product until after the US midterm elections on Tuesday due to concerns about impersonating public people.

    According to those familiar with the situation, fake government accounts are a common issue on Twitter around the world. Crawford stated that the “Official” badge will not be for sale and will only be available to administrations, significant media outlets, businesses, company associates, and other prominent personalities.

    A Reuters story states that the social networking site Twitter will launch a new $8 premium subscription option. According to Esther Crawford, the company’s early-stage products executive, the major media organisations and governments will be among the Twitter accounts that are verified and so referred to as “Official” on Twitter.

    Those who subscribe to Twitter Blue, a new subscription service that won’t really verify user identities, will be able to get blue checks.

    Even though the official label won’t be offered for sale, select accounts will get it, and it won’t be accessible to all. Governments, private companies, trade associations, large news organisations, and some other public personalities will be allowed to have it.

  • Elon Musk fires more than 90% of Twitter India staff

    Elon Musk fires more than 90% of Twitter India staff

    Twitter Inc. terminated more than 90 per cent of its employees in India over the weekend, “severely depleting its engineering and product team in a prospective growth area.”

    The firing frenzy is part of global reductions by new owner Elon Musk.

    .According to persons familiar with the situation who spoke to Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject, Twitter’s India offices employed just over 200 people before the cuts, leaving it with only about a dozen employees. The offices are in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

    Due to its sizable potential pool of new online users, India is a crucial growth engine for international internet companies like Twitter, Meta Platforms Inc., and Google, a division of Alphabet Inc.

    The businesses must comply with “increasingly strict regulations” intended to rein in giant digital enterprises in the country.

    According to one of the employees who spoke with Bloomberg, the product and engineering teams in India that worked on a worldwide mandate accounted for roughly 70 per cent of the jobs that were eliminated.

  • ‘There is no choice when the company is losing $4 million per day’: Musk justifies cutting half of Twitter’s workforce

    ‘There is no choice when the company is losing $4 million per day’: Musk justifies cutting half of Twitter’s workforce

    On Friday, Twitter laid off half of its 7,500-person workforce as the company’s troubled big restructuring under new owner Elon Musk got under way, only one week after his sensational takeover.

    According to an internal memo seen by AFP, “approximately 50 per cent” of the workforce was affected and would immediately lose access to business computers and email.

    Workers from all over the world who were let go used Twitter to express their anger or disbelief and bid farewell to one of Silicon Valley’s most recognisable enterprises.

    “Woke up to the news that my time working at Twitter has come to an end. I am heartbroken. I am in denial,” said Michele Austin, Twitter’s director of public policy for the US and Canada.

    Prior to the layoffs, Twitter restricted access to all of its locations and asked staff to remain at home while they awaited word on their futures with the firm.

    The cull is a part of Musk’s effort to obtain financing for the massive $44 billion acquisition, for which he sold $15.5 billion worth of Tesla shares and took on billions of dollars in debt.

    After his massive acquisition, Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been frantically looking for new revenue streams for Twitter, including the notion of charging users $8 per month for verified accounts.

    The actions would help Twitter combat the possibility of losing advertisers, which are the company’s primary source of income, since many of the major businesses in the world postpone their ad purchases after learning of Musk’s well-known contempt for content controls.

    The volatile businessman lamented a “huge loss in revenue” on Twitter on Friday, attributing it to “activist groups” who were pressing advertisers.

    “We did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America,” he added.

    This seemed to be a reference to Musk’s previous meeting with civil rights organisations, where he heard worries that Twitter will unleash a wave of hate speech a week before the US midterm elections. Musk had promised that Twitter would not turn into a “free-for-all hellscape” in an effort to calm people down, but his assurance was swiftly contradicted by a tweet spreading a rumour that the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been attacked.

    “We are witnessing the real time destruction of one of the world’s most powerful communication systems. Elon Musk is an erratic billionaire who is dangerously unqualified to run this platform,” said Nicole Gill, Executive Director of Accountable Tech.

    She was a member of a group of 60 rights organisations that demanded on Friday that advertising on the Musk-owned platform be boycotted.

    “Elon Musk has demonstrated that it’s not possible for him to keep the brand safeguards that have existed on Twitter in place. There’s no more time for trust but verify, it’s time for escalation,” said Angelo Carusone, President and CEO of Media Matters for America.

    Although very popular with celebrities and opinion leaders, the California-based business has historically struggled to turn a profit and has lagged behind Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok in terms of user growth.

    Since Musk finalised his acquisition late last week and immediately set about dissolving its board and removing its chief executive and key managers, Twitter employees have been preparing for this kind of unpleasant news. Five Twitter employees who had previously been let go filed a class action lawsuit against the business late on Thursday, alleging that they had not received the legally mandated 60-day notice period.

    The US Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which grants employees the right to early notification in situations involving large layoffs or plant closures, is cited in the lawsuit.

  • $8 for Starbucks coffee is cool, but a Twitter badge is not? Netizens react to Musk’s meme

    $8 for Starbucks coffee is cool, but a Twitter badge is not? Netizens react to Musk’s meme

    Elon Musk’s intentions to charge an additional $8 per month for the Twitter Blue service have both amused and incensed online users. This may be the rationale behind Musk’s defense of his choice to charge verified users for their Twitter blue tick badge.

    Musk appears to have turned to memes in an effort to spread the word about his lofty goal of turning Twitter into a revenue-generating platform. The head of SpaceX, who is renowned for his blunt assessment of everything on Earth, has been jokingly outlining his new plan.

    https://twitter.com/Therealdavedfs1/status/1587894312838529024

    In one of his tweets, he posted a meme depicting individuals enjoying their $8 Starbucks coffee while grumbling about having to spend the same amount to maintain their Twitter verification badge.

    Users reacted strongly to the meme that compared the cost of coffee to that of a Twitter subscription. Some people praised the choice, while others criticised the millionaire.

    “They don’t see the vision Mr Musk. I’d pay $80 for a checkmark for even just 30 minutes. Everybody hating on Elon should instead be grateful for the service he is doing for us. He doesn’t get enough appreciation,” said a user. “Mocking of users will continue until profits improve,” chimed in another user.

    Another meme posted by the Tesla CEO depicts two characters discussing shelling out $8 for freedom of speech. Another responds to the question of why pay $8 for Twitter verification by stating that he can still use Twitter for free without the advantages.

    He claimed that Twitter is a fascinating site in another tweet. “Twitter is simply the most interesting place on the Internet. That’s why you’re reading this tweet right now,” read his tweet. In another tweet, Musk said it was good to be attacked by right and left at the same time. “Being attacked by both right & left simultaneously is a good sign,” he wrote.

    On November 1, Musk announced the $8 per month subscription plan for Twitter on his Twitter account. The new CEO continued by outlining several premium services to which users will have access.

    According to him, platform users will be able to publish long videos and audio files as well as receive priority treatment for replies and remarks. Additionally, there won’t be many adverts on subscribers’ feeds.

  • Best-selling author slams Musk’s plan to charge $20 for Twitter’s blue tick verification

    Best-selling author slams Musk’s plan to charge $20 for Twitter’s blue tick verification

    Elon Musk, who recently acquired control of the microblogging network in a $44 billion deal, responded to bestseller author Stephen King’s tweet expressing dissatisfaction over the anticipated cost for a verified badge.

    There have been rumours that Twitter would soon begin charging verified users a monthly charge for the blue ticks on their handles, Mr King said, “$20 a month to keep my blue check? F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”

    The monthly charge is the subject of much rumour, with some reports stating it will be around $5 per month and others estimating it to be as high as $20. The author’s tweet on Enron relates to the significant US corporation’s spectacular collapse following years of explosive growth.

    Responding to Mr King’s tweet, Mr Musk said, “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?”

    Many people believe it is not worthwhile to pay for a blue tick, while others contend that there is nothing wrong with charging individuals for the blue tick. The buzz surrounding the charge for a certified badge has ignited a heated debate.

    According to Musk, who oversaw the dramatic events that led to the dramatic developments of the Twitter takeover that also reached the court, the verification process for accounts is being updated. He made no further explanations.

    If the initiative is approved, users would have to pay $4.99 per month for Twitter Blue in order to keep their “verified” badges.

    Although the project may still be shelved because the CEO of Tesla Inc. has not made a final decision, Platformer predicts that verification will most likely be included in Twitter Blue.

    Musk dissolves Twitter’s board of directors

    In order to further solidify his authority over the social media network, Elon Musk earlier dissolved the Twitter’s board of directors.

    After purchasing the business last week, the multi-billionaire will serve as its CEO, putting an end to months of negotiations over the $44 billion acquisition.

    He has taken swift action to leave his stamp on the company, which is utilised by journalists and politicians all over the world.

    He is thinking about making adjustments to Twitter’s verification process and eliminating positions. According to reports, the first round of layoff is being discussed and may affect 25 per cent of the company’s workforce.

  • Twitter is planning to start charging $20 per month for blue tick badge

    Twitter is planning to start charging $20 per month for blue tick badge

    Only a few days after taking over as Twitter’s CEO, Elon Musk is apparently working on some significant improvements. The Twitter Blue membership and even the verification procedure, which awards verified accounts with a “Blue tick,” are expected to undergo modifications.

    According to reports, the Twitter Blue membership will be connected to it, and Musk also has big price increases planned for the subscriptions.

    The new Twitter Blue membership will cost customers $19.99, according to a report by The Verge. Additionally, Twitter accounts that already have the blue tick will need to abide by this new system and pay for it.

    Verified users will have a total of 90 days to switch to Twitter Blue before they lose their checkmark. Employees of Twitter have also been told to resign or move quickly with this new membership plan. According to the article, a deadline of November 7 has been set for the staff.

    Twitter Blue, a paid monthly opt-in membership that grants exclusive access to premium services, was introduced last year. This, according to Twitter, will allow you to personalise your Twitter experience. In the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the subscription service is now available.

    It will be interesting to watch how Musk implements both a worldwide rollout and a complete overhaul of the payment system. Twitter Blue may be bought in-app on iOS and Android in the territories that are eligible.