What once seemed like fantasy is now reality: Twitter has accepted Elon Musk’s offer to purchase the social media platform for around $44 billion.
The deal is expected to be completed by this year, and speculation about how the company will change has already taken over the conversation.
One of the biggest questions posed has been, “Why would Musk want Twitter?”
Aside from being an avid user of the platform, Musk has been outspoken about his criticisms of Twitter and its free speech policies.
“Well, I think it’s very important for there to be an inclusive arena for free speech,” said Musk during a TED interview after his initial offer. “Twitter has become kind of the de facto town square, so it’s just really important that people have both the reality and the perception that they are able to speak freely within the bounds of the law.”
This statement carried many insinuations. For instance, former president Donald Trump was banned from Twitter following the January 6 insurrection that occurred in 2021. However, Musk has not suggested that he would unban the former president.
Still, those critical of Musk worry that he will allow more extremist views to be expressed on the platform, which social media websites like Facebook and Twitter have already had difficulty controlling.
Musk himself said that “if in doubt, let the speech, let it exist.” He added that if there is “a lot of controversy, you’re not necessarily going to promote that tweet.”
His emphasis on free speech has been a passion projects for years now and he claims that providing such a platform for society is essential for “the future of civilization.”
