advertisement
Video Producer: Aparna Singh
Video Editor: Prajjwal Kumar
The Twitter deal that has been going on for the last few months has been completed and the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has finally established his ownership.
He tweeted that he bought Twitter because according to him, the future of civilisation requires a "common digital town square" where different ideas can be debated in a healthy way, without resorting to violence.
It is believed that after Musk's acquisition of Twitter, there will be many changes that will be implemented in the near future.
After the completion of the deal, Musk fired Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal along with many top executives of the company.
Other departures include Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust, and safety; chief financial officer Ned Segal, who joined Twitter in 2017; and Sean Edgett, general counsel at Twitter since 2012.
Some employees may revolt against Elon Musk after his acquisition of Twitter. This is not an impossible prospect, given that, according to a New York Times report, some Twitter employees already quit after hearing that Musk has taken over the company. Many even said, in not so many words, that they would leave the job if the richest man in the world became their boss.
The Washington Post quoted interviews and documents as saying that after buying Twitter, Musk could fire 75 percent of the company's employees. According to the report, Musk told his potential investors that he planned to do the same.
An open letter emerged from Twitter's employees, objecting to Musk's proposal to fire 75 percent of the company's 7,500 employees.
Elon Musk had spoken of trying to protect freedom of expression before buying Twitter.
He also said that if he succeeds in acquiring the social media platform, then he will reactivate the Twitter account of former US President Donald Trump, whose account was permanently suspended after the January 6 Capitol uprising.
It has also been feared that the 2024 US elections could be affected by the relaxation of the ban on political advertisements after Elon Musk acquires Twitter.
Bascially, if Twitter plays a role in the US politics, Elon Musk could be seen as the central polarizing face in the 2024 election.
Given all of this, supporters of the Republican Party wanted Twitter to be owned by Musk, but it is difficult to ascertain as of now what kind of political consequences will emerge from this.
Elon Musk also wants to reportedly eliminate the subscription feature of Twitter Blue (a monthly subscription feature that gives Twitter users exclusive access to premium features), which gives users the premium undo feature for ad-free articles and tweets.
Apart from this, those features of Twitter can also be turned off, which does not generate the company revenue.
According to the report, Elon Musk will move Twitter to other opportunities to earn money away from advertising revenue. This includes features like payment features, data licensing agreements, and new subscription products.
After acquiring Twitter, Musk could become an even bigger celebrity in the world. The thing to note is that after becoming the owner of a big social media company like Twitter, Elon Musk can do anything on it.
It is feared that he may make jokes on people, seek revenge on his political enemies, and think of shifting the company elsewhere outside California.
Apart from this, Elon Musk can also use Twitter to promote his personal business.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)