Elon Musk has officially bought Twitter for $44 billion. But that's okay, the Tesla and SpaceX boss has received many warnings from influential figures.
Elon Musk did promise to make Twitter really enforce free speech, maybe even no more account restrictions even though it is controversial. That's what makes some people feel anxious.
Elon Musk has been warned to keep Twitter users safe from hoaxes or other acts such as bullying. "Regardless of who owns it, all social media platforms must have a responsibility," said a spokesman for the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
The European Commission also made a similar statement. They have worked out rules that social media should be more transparent about for example why a piece of content is recommended or how its advertising practices.
"Whether it's vehicles or social media, all companies operating in Europe need to comply with our rules, regardless of the shareholders," said Thierry Breton, the EU executive.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International expressed concern that Twitter is controlled by Elon Musk. "We are concerned about the steps Twitter might take to undermine the policies and mechanisms designed to protect users," they said.
"The last thing we need is Twitter to ignore violent and abusive content on users, especially those who are often affected, including women and others," they added.
Elon Musk did say that he promised to make Twitter a place for free speech for anyone.
"Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of democracy, and Twitter is the digital city square where matters important to the future of humanity are debated," Elon Musk said in a statement.
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