Disclaimer: This article may contain the viewpoint and opinion of the author.
Twitter is a free social networking platform where users can post things called tweets. The posts can contain text, videos, and photos. These are real-time posts but shorter than posts on Facebook.
During the Presidential election of 2022, social networking platforms played a pivotal role in getting Joe Biden elected President. It was clear they censored conservative viewpoints and promoted liberal, progressive opinions.
Twitter even banned President Trump from posting his opinions. Trump was famous for posting controversial late-night statements angering many with liberal views. The fact checkers for Twitter flagged Trump’s posts. Eventually, they just banned him.
Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, and one who usually aligns with liberals was not happy with the censorship by social media. He began investing in Twitter. By March, Musk became the largest shareholder in Twitter with 9.2% ownership.
Musk, who is very outspoken on social media, made it no secret he was looking at buying the company. Twitter, seeing Musk’s plan to ultimately take over the company, offered him a seat on the board. The world watched eagerly to see where what was going to happen.
“He’s both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need on @Twitter, and in the boardroom, to make us stronger in the long-term,” Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said on the platform. “Welcome Elon!”
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy. “Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company,” Musk said.
Musk says Twitter is not providing the evidence to show less than five percent are BOTS. Twitter is claiming they have provided proof. Because the Telsa CEO believes they have not, he wants to terminate the deal. Of course, Twitter is now suing him over the termination.
Musk is accusing the company of intentionally miscounting the number of spam accounts it hosts in order to juice its user metrics as part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company’s prospects. Fox Business reported. that Musk believes the fake account rise to around twenty percent, not five.
For this reason, Musk believes he can terminate and cancel the deal. Twitter claims they have provided proof Twitter has less than five percent of fake accounts. Twitter is now suing Musk for trying to get out of the deal.
Some people believe Musk has strategically planned out this court battle. If Twitter is withholding information on the number of fake accounts, they will have to provide the information in the upcoming legal battle.
Musk is now challenging Twitter CEO Agrawal to a public debate on the issue. “If Twitter merely supplies their technique of sampling 100 accounts and the way they’re confirmed to be actual, the deal ought to proceed on authentic phrases,” wrote Musk.
Agrawal has yet to reply to Musk on the debate challenge but in a way, Musk has cornered the tech CEO. He made the challenge by Tweeting it out. He used his platform against him to make the challenge. Agrawal can certainly decline the invitation but why would he?
All the Twitter CEO has to do is provide information on the fake accounts and he wins. It will be interesting to see where this challenge goes. Elon Musk has become a leading voice in the fight against tech censorship.
The fight with Twitter may just be a fight on the undercard. The real bout might be coming next with the bigger fish. At least, many people wouldn’t mind seeing Musk take on Zuckerberg next.
