The new owner of the social network Twitter, Elon Musk, assured Monday that he wants to make the social network the “most trusted source of information in the world”, defending the decision to charge for profile verification.
In posts published on Twitter, where he has about 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 makes it “by far” the most reliable source should make.
Twitter has to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Nov 7, 2022
Last weekMusk announced that Twitter will charge $8.05 a month for users who want their profiles verified, something that until now has only been available for free to celebrities, journalists, governments, and political, scientific and cultural figures.
“General verification will democratize journalism and amplify the voice of the people,” said Musk, the world’s richest man.
“Journalists who think they are the only legitimate source of information is the big lie,” he added in response to a user’s comment.
As for content moderation, Musk, who often calls himself a “freedom of speech absolutist,” said today that he has no plans to block a profile that tracks the movements of the millionaire’s private jet, although this is “a direct poses a risk to personal safety”. .
Social media experts have already warned that the decision to charge 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 on the platform changed their names to “Elon Musk”, including actress Valerie Bertinelli.
The blue check “just meant your identity was verified,” Bertinelli noted. “Criminals would have a harder time impersonating someone else,” he added.
In response, Musk threatened to permanently suspend all accounts with fake names, with the exception of profiles claiming to be parodies, something that has already happened to comedian Kathy Griffin.
“I guess not all content moderators got fired?” Griffin later joked on Mastodon, an alternative social network.
Musk took control of Twitter last week after buying the social network for $44 billion, immediately disbanding its board of directors, firing in addition to its core staff and laying off about half of its 7,500 employees, including the entire company. . team.
“Is not […] an encouraging start” for Twitter’s new management, said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, voicing “concerns about the digital public space.”
Source: DN
