Elon Musk's Twitter takeover has caught everyone by surprise, especially those who did not expect the business tycoon to buy the social media app.
The South African entrepreneur had shown interest in buying the microblogging site as early as 2017, but at that time, he was only criticizing the app's content moderation.
After the acquisition, many celebrities express a desire to leave the platform, but why is it too early to happen?
Elon Musk Twitter Takeover Means Leaving Celebrities
In the past few days, Musk finalized the deal with Twitter and purchased it for $44 billion. At that time, people were skeptical about the upcoming changes that Elon would implement soon.
Less than a week after the acquisition, the new Twitter CEO announced that the Twitter Blue subscription price would increase to $8 per month. This feature does not sound good for content creators who benefit from the platform.
After that, Musk kicked out the executives on Twitter to arrange a new lineup of a team who would handle the social media app.
According to the Evening Standard, social media users are not only staying away from Twitter. Even celebrities like Toni Braxton and Shonda Rhimes are vocal about leaving the platform very soon.
According to Rhimes, a famous television screenwriter and producer, there's no time to hang around for "whatever Elon has planned" on Twitter.
Braxton, the singer behind "Un-Break My Heart" and "Breathe Again," tweeted that she's appalled by some "free speech" that she has witnessed since Elon took over Twitter.
I'm shocked and appalled at some of the "free speech" I've seen on this platform since its acquisition. Hate speech under the veil of "free speech" is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons and other POC.
— Toni Braxton (@tonibraxton) October 29, 2022
"Hate speech under the veil of free speech is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons, and other POC," she wrote in her post. Actor Josh Gad who voiced Olaf in the hit child series "Frozen," is also on the same page with Braxton and Rhimes. He said that he is currently thinking of exiting Twitter after the large exodus on the social media site.
Large exodus happening on this platform. Not sure if I stay or not. Leaning toward staying, but if today is a sign of things to come, not sure what the point is. Freedom of speech is great. Hate speech intended to incite harm, (with no consequences) ain’t what I signed up for.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) October 29, 2022
Former professional WWE wrestler Mick Foley also reportedly left Twitter after learning about Musk's intention to acquire the platform.
Apparently, it's not all about the price hike for Twitter Blue which drives away celebrities to look for another platform.
Some content creators think that it's not healthy anymore to engage in discussions on the app. Others say that Twitter is becoming a haven of hate speech and misconduct so this serves as a ground to search for a healthier social media site to explore.
Testing Twitter's Content Moderation
NBC News reports that some people have been experimenting to see if the new Twitter moderation tool is effective. For instance, Jake Shields, a former UFC competitor, tweeted a picture of a smiling drag queen. He captioned it with "This is a groomer."
Shields said that Twitter suspended him after tweeting this post a month ago. Now, he is testing the grounds to see if it will still work especially for anti-LGBTQ tweets.
Another high-profile tweet from podcaster Matt Walsh urged his Twitter followers to begin misgendering transgender persons on the platform.
Walsh believes that public opinion is subject to change which goes the same with the laws.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
