After the Twitter takeover, Elon Musk wants to turn the short message service upside down. At the same time, racist insults are increasing on the platform. Some stars have had enough and say goodbye to Twitter. Others only think about it.
It didn't take long for the first changes to begin following Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter last week. The entrepreneur has fired senior executives and dubbed himself "Chief Twit." There is also a growing fear among many that hate speech and other inappropriate content will be allowed on the platform more.
For example, the "Washington Post" recently reported on the discovery of the New Contagion Research Institute. The group, which analyzes millions of messages on social media, found that use of the N-word on Twitter increased nearly 500 percent in the first 12 hours after Musk's acquisition. The Tesla boss added fuel to the fire by declaring, "Comedy is now legal on Twitter." For some celebrities, that seems to be too much of a good thing – they have said goodbye to the short message service.
For example, "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes wrote on Saturday morning: "I'm not staying here for whatever Elon has planned. Bye."
Actor Alex Winter, This Is US producer Ken Olin and showrunner Brian Koppelman joined the protest. Winter reposted Musk's comedy comment via Instagram and captioned it "RIP Twitter." Koppelmann posted a screenshot on Instagram showing him just deleting the Twitter app. "Hello everyone. I'm out. No conviction," Olin explained.
Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles tweeted, "Well. It was fun Twitter. I'm out. See you on other platforms guys. Sorry this is just not for me."
Singer Toni Braxton tweeted: "I am shocked and appalled by some of the 'free speech' I have seen on this platform since it was taken over. Hate speech disguised as 'free speech' is unacceptable, hence I choose to avoid Twitter."
But there are also stars who want to stay on the platform. "Star Trek" star George Takei said, "I'm not going anywhere." You need other voices and he has never shied away from a "fight".
Actor Josh Gad shared that he's considering leaving the app. "There's a major exodus happening on this platform. Not sure if I'm staying or not." At the moment he tends to stay. But hate speech is not what he signed up for on the platform.
A few days ago, Elon Musk announced that Twitter would "set up a content management council" "in which very different opinions are represented". He also stated that prior to the convening of this panel, "no major decisions will be made about content or the reinstatement of accounts" that have been suspended.
Another change that should be pending: Musk wants to charge money for the verification of users. Up to now, the blue tick, which guarantees the authenticity of profiles, was free of charge. But soon the checkmark will only be available for customers with the "Twitter Blue" subscription – it currently costs $4.99. But the price will soon rise to $19.99 a month, according to technology blog The Verge, citing an unspecified source.
Thriller author Stephen King is extremely critical of this. "$20 a month to keep my blue tick? They should pay me," the 75-year-old wrote. If that is introduced, he will be gone.
