Want to know how the tech world has received today’s news of Elon Musk buying Twitter for over $61.4 billion? Well, we’ve got you covered!
Sense of dread turns to widespread disappointment among Slack channels
During the weekend hours when the negotiations between Musk and the Twitter board really heated up, things in the Slack company’s employee room were extremely tense, a report by Platformer says.
Most workers were searching for answers as there were none to be found, with the talks still ongoing, while one person who created a thread on the application, asking if there was anyone who was excited at the potential of a Musk takeover received a series of angry replies. Proof of how badly this news went over with the company’s employees.
Once it was made official that Twitter will be changing ownership, most people began sharing their doubt and negativity through publications that were held on the app about what this shift would mean for them. However, as the report by Platformer goes on to say, sentiment was a lot more optimistic in private conversations with Slack employees who pointed out that it may be easier to improve Twitter now that it’s becoming a public service.
Meanwhile, Twitter employees who get half of their compensation in stock, are still trying to find out if – and how – this change will affect them financially.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos throws shade on Musk
One of the most prominent personas who were quick to share their opinion about the news was Amazon owner Jeff Bezos.
In a tweet, the fellow billionaire quotes New York Times journalist Mike Forsythe which highlights the growing relationship between Musk’s company Tesla and the investments its been making in China.
Interesting question. Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square? https://t.co/jTiEnabP6T
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 25, 2022
Bezos goes on to say: “Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?”
Musk has used that characterisation many times when he refers to Twitter, stating that it’s where all people gather to discuss their ideas.
Bezos went on to answer his own question a little later, essentially backtracking in his own statement, by posting another tweet in which he said: “My own answer to this question is probably not. The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship at Twitter.”
Tech analysts share their insights
But Bezos wasn’t the only one who shared his sentiments on the arguably biggest news of the month – or even the year – to shake the industry.
Speaking to B&T, Forrester’s Kelsey Chickering and Mike Proulx showed his raising concerns regarding the Twitter takeover.
More specifically, Chickering said: “In an age fraught with misinformation and disinformation, the parameters around free speech become murky because algorithms built to promote “click-worthy” content, combined with bots spreading risky content, give disinformation a tailwind.
“If Musk decides to loosen content moderation policies, he puts Twitter ad dollars at risk. Brands are becoming more conscious of their adjacency to risky content or disinformation, so they may take their dollars to other channels with greater safety measures in place.”
While Proulx added: “While touted as a battle over “free speech,” this [acquisition] is really a battle around content moderation: Is it responsible or is it censorship? This leads to questions on whether Musk would address disinformation and hate speech on Twitter or enable it to further amplify in the name of “free speech.”
King Kong founder Sabri Suby stood on the potential competition between Musk’s Twitter and Zuckerberg’s Facebook, with employees potentially jumping ship from the latter to join the former.
“Elon Musk buying Twitter is Zuckerberg’s worst nightmare come to life. Zuckerberg’s 17 year run is being challenged by the world’s most successful entrepreneur,” said Sabri.
“Engineers will likely jump ship for an opportunity to work for Elon. It is also very likely he will keep it private, turn it around, make it a huge business and then go public again. Which, if you are an engineer with stock options, could be very attractive given Tesla’s stock performance. This is going to be a very interesting chapter in the social media landscape.”
