Background
For years, Elon Musk has been one of the most prominent figures of the technology world. He’s been credited as one of the driving forces behind the rise of electric vehicles, autonomous cars, reusable rockets and much more. Twitter, the social media site where people interact with each other, has been one of the primary ways in which Musk interacts with his followers and a platform for which he shares his ideas.
But recently, Musk and Twitter have had a few run-ins. It started out with Musk airing his grievances against Twitter’s moderation and his opinion that it was too aggressive. Then, in early 2018, things escalated when Twitter analyzed thousands of accounts and began suspending suspicious accounts in an attempt to fight trolling. Some of these accounts were ones that Musk had been supporting and engaging with, which caused him to become critical of the platform.
Twitter Moderation
Musk’s criticisms centered around Twitter’s aggressive moderation of accounts that he viewed as “non-trolls”—people who weren’t spamming the platform or engaging in malicious activity. Musk even went so far as to suggest that Twitter had no clear standards for policing users, creating an environment where people were often falsely accused and accounts were wrongfully suspended.
Elon Musk’s grievances did draw a response from Twitter. CEO Jack Dorsey said he was “very receptive” to Musk’s concerns and “prioritized communication” with Musk to figure out a better way of moderating accounts. He also acknowledged some of the issues with the platform, such as its lack of transparency, and promised to work on that.
Despite these promises, it can be argued that not much has changed over the last few years. Twitter is still aggressively moderating accounts and users’ concerns remain largely unaddressed. In August 2020, Musks branched out and launched an alternative platform, Clubhouse.
Clubhouse
Clubhouse is a platform that’s similar to Twitter, but with a few key differences. For one, it allows users to have live audio conversations with one another, whereas Twitter is a text-only platform. It also promotes a more intimate and private environment, which has led Musk to view it as a better place to exchange ideas without the same level of moderation.
Musk has been very vocal about his support for Clubhouse, to the point where his enthusiasm has been seen as an endorsement of the platform. He has even hosted conversations with prominent figures within the technology community such as Jeff Bezos, Trevor Noah and others.
Even though Clubhouse is still in its infancy, it’s quickly becoming the go-to platform for those looking for more private and intimate conversations on the web. And the fact that Elon Musk is supporting it so enthusiastically will only contribute to its growth.
Twitter’s Not Letting Go
In spite of his enthusiasm for Clubhouse, Elon Musk is still very much engaged with Twitter. He tweeted on August 10th, 2020 that he loves Twitter “despite occasionally getting into trouble” and that he’s “happy about the progress being made on fixing the issues”. He also said that he believes Twitter will continue to be an important platform in the future and that he’ll always have a presence there.
While this shows that Musk is still engaged with Twitter, he may no longer be as vocal with his criticisms of the platform. His support of Clubhouse may be seen as a clear signal that he is not happy with the way Twitter is moderating accounts, and that he is looking for alternatives.
It’s safe to say that Musk’s involvement with Twitter remains mixed. On the one hand, there is still some level of support from him, but on the other, he is openly looking for new ways to engage with the tech community. It remains to be seen how this will all play out in the coming months and years.
Analysis
Elon Musk’s relationship with Twitter has been one that’s been fraught with conflict. While there have been some recent attempts from Twitter to address his concerns, it can be argued that they have failed to truly make any meaningful changes to their policies regarding moderation.
Musk’s launch of Clubhouse could be viewed as a move to provide an alternative platform for those wanting to interact with the tech community. While it remains to be seen if Clubhouse will be successful, it’s clear that Musk is still engaged with Twitter, despite his criticisms. It will be interesting to see how things will evolve between these two companies in the coming months and years.
Next Steps
It’s clear that Twitter still has a lot of work to do in order to address Elon Musk’s grievances with their moderation policies. If they want to keep Musk engaged on their platform, then they will need to come up with more effective ways to police accounts and ensure that innocent users aren’t getting punished for minor infractions.
At the same time, Clubhouse is still in its infancy and it’s too early to tell how successful it will be in the long run. As of now, however, it’s clear that it has gained traction with the tech community and that it’s quickly becoming the platform of choice for those who want to engage in private conversations.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s relationship with Twitter is one that is complex and ever-evolving. On the one hand, he is still engaged with the platform and even tweeted recently about the progress that’s being made, but on the other, he is actively looking for alternatives such as Clubhouse. As of now, it looks like it’s going to be a wait and see situation, but one thing is for certain: Elon Musk and Twitter are two forces that are not going to go away anytime soon.
