The new owner of the social network Twitter, Elon Musk, assured this Sunday that he wants to turn the social network into the “most reliable source of information in the world”, defending the decision to charge money for the verification of profiles.
In messages posted on Twitter, where he has some 25,000 followers, the millionaire said that this was the “mission” of the company, adding that the veracity of the information circulating on the social network should make it “by far” the most trustworthy.
Last week, Musk announced that Twitter will start charging eight dollars (8.05 euros) a month to users who want to see their profile verified, something that until now was only available, for free, to celebrities, journalists, governments and politicians, scientists and cultural figures.
“Widespread verification will democratize journalism and strengthen the voice of the people,” Musk, the world’s richest man, defended.
“Journalists who believe they are the only legitimate source of information, that is the big lie,” he added, in response to a user’s comment.
On content moderation, Musk, who frequently declares himself “absolutist of freedom of expression”, said today that he has no plans to block a profile that follows the movements of the millionaire’s private plane, although this poses “a direct risk to personal safety.” .
Social media experts have already warned that the decision to charge money for verification could spark a wave of fake profiles and increase the reach and impact of disinformation on Twitter.
In protest of the decision, some celebrities changed their name on the platform to “Elon Musk”, including actress Valerie Bertinelli.
The blue checkmark “simply means your identity has been verified,” Bertinelli said. “It would be more difficult for criminals to impersonate someone else,” he added.
In response, Musk has threatened to permanently suspend all accounts under assumed names, except for profiles claiming to be parodies, something that has already happened to comedian Kathy Griffin.
“I guess they didn’t fire all the content moderators?” Griffin joked later on Mastodon, an alternative social network.
Musk took control of Twitter last week, after buying the social network for 44,000 million euros, having immediately dissolved the board of directors, as well as expelling the main staff and laying off about half of the 7,500 employees, including the entire human rights company. equipment.
“It is not […] an encouraging start” for Twitter’s new management, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said on Saturday, expressing “concern about digital public space.”
Source: TSF
