After Elon Musk’s takeover, the largest US automaker has stopped paying advertising on Twitter.
Musk’s $44bn (PS38bn), deal to buy Twitter was completed on Thursday. He reportedly fired the chief executive officer and two top managers.
The richest man in the world tweeted “The bird is freed” as well as “Let the good times roll” before sent a tweet Friday announcing establishment of the content moderation board.
Friday night, GM Motors Co announced that it had suspended paid ads on the platform temporarily due to a major change in a platform.
Detroit’s automaker stated that it was “engaging Twitter to understand the platform’s direction under their new ownership”, and added that its “customer care interactions via Twitter will continue”.
In the second quarter, more than 90% of Twitter’s revenue came from ad sales.
A presentation in May saw some brands and agencies express concern about Twitter’s future.
Musk, Tesla and SpaceX boss, has described himself as “free-speech absolutist” and appealed directly at advertisers in an open letter tweet just before the deal was due to close.
He stated that Twitter cannot be a “free-for-all hellscape” where everything can be said without consequences !…. Twitter strives to be the most trusted advertising platform in the globe that grows your business and strengthens your brand.
Musk tweeted that the social media platform would form a moderation committee “with widely varied viewpoints” and “no major content or account reinstatements will be made prior to it meeting.
Later, he tweeted that the company had not yet made any changes in its content moderation policies.
Musk had previously stated that he would overhaul the service, getting rid of fake accounts, and making it a place where “a range of beliefs can be discussed in a healthy way”.
Donald Trump, arguably Twitter’s most well-known user, could have his account reinstated.
After the January 2021 siege of the US Capitol, the former president was expelled for inciting violence through two of his posts.
Musk criticized the ban earlier in the year, calling it a “mistake” and “morally incorrect”.
Continue reading: Super app or Wild West? Elon Musk’s vision for Twitter
Musk purchased Twitter one day before the deadline of 28 October to avoid the deal going through court. After Musk pulled out in July due to the large number of spam accounts, the company took legal action to force the deal through.
Musk uploaded a bizarre video earlier this week in which he entered Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters with a sink and the message: “Entering TwitterHQ – Let that sink in.”
Musk updated his Twitter bio to say “Chief Twit” on Thursday. He stated that he didn’t buy the social media platform in order to make more money, but to try to help humanity.
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