Elon Musk tells advertisers that Twitter can not turn into “a free-for-all hellscape” • TechCrunch

Elon Musk revealed a notice addressed to Twitter advertisers on his account this morning, the day earlier than his court-ordered deadline to shut his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform. Within the brief tackle, Musk — who’s presently in San Francisco and spending the week at Twitter HQ — explains to Twitter advertisers why he’s motivated to purchase the platform.

“There was a lot hypothesis about why I purchased Twitter and what I take into consideration promoting,” Musk wrote. “Most of it has been flawed.”

Musk repeated among the major speaking factors that he has been stating since he first introduced the acquisition in April. He believes in Twitter’s potential as a “widespread digital city sq.,” however he’s frightened that “social media will splinter into far proper wing and much left wing echo chambers” as conventional media continues towards its “relentless pursuit of clicks.”

“That’s the reason I purchased Twitter. I didn’t do it as a result of it will be straightforward. I didn’t to it to make more cash,” he defined. “I did it to attempt to assist humanity, whom I like.”

None of those declarations are notably illuminating — Musk mentioned in April that he “doesn’t care concerning the economics” of shopping for Twitter.  Spending $44 billion on a struggling enterprise isn’t the best enterprise transfer, nevertheless it’s one thing that you would be able to accomplish out of a way of warped obligation to humanity when you find yourself the richest man on the planet (and ultimately on our neighboring purple planet too, in all probability).

However Musk really slipped in one thing right here that’s mildly reassuring, although it’s typically a problem to take him at his phrase.

Musk has regularly touted the significance of free speech in his acquisition of Twitter, even mentioning it in his letter to the corporate board when he first introduced his intent to amass the platform.

“I invested in Twitter as I consider in its potential to be the platform at no cost speech across the globe, and I consider free speech is a societal crucial for a functioning democracy,” Musk wrote in April. “Nonetheless, since making my funding I now notice the corporate will neither thrive nor serve this societal crucial in its present kind.”

“… Twitter has extraordinary potential,” he added. “I’ll unlock it.”

But Twitter’s current content material pointers aren’t as stringent as his declarations would lead you to consider. Past prohibiting criminality, the platform bans hateful conduct (attacking or threatening folks primarily based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, faith, incapacity, and so on.), depictions of graphic violence, promotion of suicide or self-harm, and so on. The platform doesn’t even censor pornographic content material, as long as it doesn’t seem in a dwell video or a profile header.

In right this moment’s letter, although, Musk appears to be considerably conscious of the truth that “something goes!” is a content material moderation coverage that’s doomed to fail.

“Twitter clearly can not turn into a free-for-all hellscape, the place something will be mentioned with no penalties!” he wrote. “Along with adhering to the legal guidelines of the land, our platform have to be heat and welcoming to all, the place you’ll be able to select your required expertise in response to your preferences, simply as you’ll be able to select, for instance, to see motion pictures or play video video games starting from all ages to mature.”

It’s unclear how he plans to make Twitter “heat and welcoming,” although, with out flouting content material pointers that goal to guard essentially the most susceptible customers on the platform.

He ends the letter by telling advertisers that Twitter aspires to “be essentially the most revered promoting platform on the planet that strengthens your model and grows your enterprise.”

Lastly, I’ve to take an affordable shot… Musk didn’t use alt textual content when posting these three text-heavy screenshots of his letter to advertisers this morning. To be honest, most individuals I comply with don’t commonly use alt textual content (however they need to!), so it is a good probability to name our presumptive fowl app overlord in. Hey, Elon! For those who really need Twitter to be a public city sq., it is best to use alt textual content to be sure that folks with vision-related disabilities can interact within the dialog too!