“Is a new platform necessary? asked the world’s richest man to his millions of followers, receiving mixed responses.
Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, posted a question on his Twitter page asking users, “Is a new platform needed?
Given the high number of people who follow the billionaire, this question has created a series of conversations on social media, with opinions varying.
When a user directly asked Musk if he was considering creating a new platform, he replied, “I’m seriously considering this.”
Would you consider creating a new social media platform, @Elon Musk? One that would consist of an open source algorithm, one where freedom of speech and respect for free speech is a priority, one where propaganda is very minimal. I think that kind of platform is needed.
— Pranay Pathole (@PPathole) March 26, 2022
Musk has been known to use Twitter quite often, whether to comment on the news or just to provide updates on his company’s Mars adventures. However, he has recently begun to question the position of the media platform in today’s society.
“Given that Twitter serves as the de facto town square, failure to uphold the principles of free speech fundamentally undermines democracy, what is to be done?” Musk asked his leagues of followers in another tweet.
As expected, opinions were mixed, with some emphasizing that he should just buy Twitter himself.
One user suggested Musk buy Twitter so he can shut it down!
Grab the production memes!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2022
However, some have said that creating or owning a platform that has virtually no control over what its users say can create a number of its own problems.
“Zero restrictions? Good luck. Extremely violent threats. Extreme hate speech. This problem has been put to the test – it’s not simple and anyone who has to deal with it knows that,” another person pointed out.
This question, along with the poll Musk created a few days earlier, asking his followers if they believed thatt Twitter “strictly adheres” to the principles of free speech, has created an air of speculation as to Musk’s intentions in the coming days.
He had warned the participants in the ballot that: “the consequences will be important”, asking them to “vote carefully”.
With all of these conflicting opinions in mind, it will be interesting to see how Musk moves forward in the near future.
It should be mentioned that there have been others in the past who have attempted to break away from Twitter and create their own social media platforms, such as Donald Trump with his Truth Social, but most of these efforts have had disappointing results.
