(Headline USA) Billionaire Elon Musk suggested Twitter should start charging corporate and government accounts a “slight” fee while leaving the social media platform free for casual users.
Musk bought Twitter last month for $44 billion and has taken the company private, vowing a number of changes including open algorithms, the elimination of bots and trolls, and no more censorship.
On Tuesday afternoon, he floated an unprecedented pay-to-use format for government and commercial users.
Twitter will always be free for casual users, but maybe a slight cost for commercial/government users
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
Musk described more of his vision for Twitter at the Met Gala on Monday, saying he wants it to be a “broadly inclusive” platform accepting of every viewpoint.
“Ideally, most of America is on it and talking,” he explained.
At the #MetGala, Elon Musk says he wants Twitter to be “broadly inclusive” after he completes his purchase of the platform: “Ideally, most of America is on it and talking.” pic.twitter.com/7rK39ohHSu
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 3, 2022
Leftists, however, are trying to make Musk’s new venture as difficult as possible. More than two dozen leftist activist and marketing groups sent a letter to corporate brands last week demanding that they pressure Twitter to keep its most controversial policies or withdraw advertising funding from the platform.
“As top advertisers on Twitter (TWTR), your brand risks association with a platform amplifying hate, extremism, health misinformation, and conspiracy theorists,” the letter reads. “Your ad dollars can either fund Musk’s vanity project or hold him to account.”
Musk responded by threatening to expose the groups behind the effort:
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
