Twitter has at all times been a bit chaotic, however new proprietor and CEO Elon Musk is taking it to a complete new degree. He is been making dramatic modifications since he purchased the corporate for $44 billion on Oct. 27, together with shedding half the employees whereas altering moderation insurance policies and unbanning extremist accounts whereas making an attempt to determine who will likely be verified.
This is the newest information about Musk’s takeover of Twitter:
Nov. 30: Musk tweets he met with Apple CEO, tries to reassure manufacturers
Musk tweeted that he met with Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner and toured the iPhone maker’s headquarters. Musk has been criticizing Apple this week, alleging with out providing proof that the corporate censors voices, has a “secret 30% tax” on App Retailer purchases and threatened to withhold Twitter from the App retailer.
Apple did not instantly reply to a request for remark about Musk’s tweet.
Musk seems to be making an attempt to reassure manufacturers that is likely to be cautious about promoting on Twitter. Musk additionally retweeted a Twitter weblog publish that states model security continues to be one of many firm’s prime priorities and none of Twitter’s coverage have modified. However the firm has stopped imposing its guidelines towards deceptive COVID-19 info and Musk has stated he would grant “amnesty” to suspended accounts, permitting them to return to the positioning if “they haven’t damaged the legislation or engaged in egregious spam.”
EU warns Musk that Twitter faces potential ban
Thierry Breton, the European Union’s commissioner for the inner market, instructed Musk that would Twitter be banned within the area or hit with a fantastic of as much as 6% of its world turnover if the corporate does not follow the EU’s guidelines on content material moderation, in response to the Monetary Occasions.
Twitter should adhere to the Digital Providers Act, stated Breton, who apparently instructed Musk he should finish his “arbitrary” strategy to reinstating banned customers, should pursue disinformation “aggressively” and should comply with an “intensive impartial audit” of Twitter by subsequent 12 months. Neither Breton’s workplace nor Twitter instantly responded to requests for remark.
Twitter restores Irish exec to job after courtroom intervenes
Sinead McSweeney has been reinstated to her function as Twitter’s world vp for public coverage, the Journal.ie reported. She obtained a brief injunction from Eire’s Excessive Court docket stopping the corporate from firing her.
McSweeney reasoned that she by no means resigned, however Twitter acted like she was not an worker on the firm after she did not reply to Musk’s Nov. 16 e mail. The e-mail reportedly demanded that every one staff click on “sure” to verify their continued employment on the firm. Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 29: COVID-19 misinformation coverage dropped
Like different social media platforms, Twitter spent the previous few years battling deceptive details about COVID-19, whether or not it was about pretend cures or about harmful conspiracy theories relating to vaccines. However Twitter is not imposing its coverage towards deceptive COVID-19 info as of Nov. 23.
The corporate did so quietly, and the coverage replace wasn’t noticed for a number of days till CNN, Twitter customers and some different publications seen it. Twitter did not reply to a request for remark and elaboration on the coverage change.
Twitter Blue rollout reportedly delayed
The launch of tweaked subscription service Twitter Blue has been pushed again, in response to The Verge and Platformer, in an try to keep away from Apple’s 30% lower of App Retailer purchases. This adopted Musk tweeting criticism of Apple. Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Former exec condemns Musk administration type
Yoel Roth, Twitter’s former head of belief and security, stated he left the corporate as a result of he knew Musk’s edict-focused management would in the end enable a “catastrophe” like Twitter Blue verification to roll out regardless of his workforce’s recommendation. Roth warned that the corporate just isn’t secure with Musk at its helm. Roth’s new feedback comply with his Nov. 18 New York Occasions op-ed criticizing Musk’s strategy.
Nov. 28: One worker left on youngster security workforce
After widespread layoffs and resignations, a workforce tasked with figuring out and eradicating youngster sexual abuse content material from the positioning now has just one staffer, in response to Wired. It wasn’t instantly clear how many individuals had been on the workforce beforehand, however Wired stated it had recognized 4 Singapore-based youngster security specialists who stated they left the corporate in November.
The workforce, primarily based at Twitter’s Asian headquarters in Singapore, is chargeable for imposing the corporate’s ban on youngster sexual abuse materials — an ongoing and irritating battle for the social community. Twitter, which makes most of its cash from promoting promoting, stated in September it was investigating how adverts from main manufacturers appeared on profiles that had been soliciting or promoting youngster sexual abuse content material.
Twitter representatives did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Congressional Republicans noticed uptick in followers
Within the first few weeks of Musk’s possession of Twitter, a number of high-profile Republican members of Congress noticed their person profiles achieve followers, whereas a few of their Democratic counterparts skilled a decline, in response to an evaluation by The Washington Put up.
Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan gained greater than 300,000 every, whereas Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff and impartial Sen. Bernie Sanders all misplaced about 100,000 Twitter followers, the Put up reported. The newspaper stated it could not establish what brought on the change however identified it is consistent with a development that began when Musk introduced in April his intention to purchase Twitter.
Nov. 27: Twitter flooded with spam that obscured Chinese language COVID-19 protest tweets
Twitter is grappling with spam tweets after protests about COVID-19 restrictions erupted in China.
The Washington Put up and TechCrunch reported that tweets from Chinese language-language Twitter accounts that had been inactive for months began tweeting hyperlinks to escort, porn and playing providers together with names of main Chinese language cities. That meant that when a Twitter person tried to seek for a metropolis in China, their search outcomes had been stuffed with spam and so they had a harder time discovering tweets concerning the protests. The difficulty comes as Twitter has a smaller workforce to deal with this downside. The Washington Put up reported that workers estimate that the corporate’s workforce has been slashed from 7,500 to 2,000 folks.
Researchers have been holding a detailed eye on the Chinese language spam. Stanford Web Observatory Director Alex Stamos tweeted that his workforce is engaged on their very own evaluation.
Nonetheless engaged on our personal evaluation, however right here is a few good preliminary information that factors to this being an intentional assault to throw up informational chaff and scale back exterior visibility into protests in China (Twitter being blocked for many PRC residents):https://t.co/kPK7nMeCPu
— Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) November 28, 2022
Nov. 26: Musk notes “We’re recruiting”
Should tweeted a set of slides late Saturday, the primary of which famous “we’re recruiting” — after weeks of layoffs, resignations and different defections on the firm. Musk once more claimed engagement is surging on Twitter, sharing slides that claimed new signups and energetic minutes have lately hit file highs. (The figures could not be independently verified.) He additionally reiterated his ambitions to make Twitter into an “the whole lot app,” sharing mockups of options like encrypted direct messages, longform tweets and funds.
Musk additionally has personally known as the CEOs of main manufacturers that halted promoting on Twitter, in response to the Monetary Occasions, which cited an unnamed supply. Different manufacturers diminished their spending to a minimal reasonably than reducing it off completely so as to keep away from confrontation with Musk, the FT reported.
Nov. 25: Coloration-coded ‘verified’ test marks coming Dec. 2
Simply after midnight Friday, Musk tweeted his latest idea for verification, which is ready to go stay on Dec. 2. Verify mark badges will are available three colours: gold for firms, grey for governments and blue for people “superstar or not.” Musk is lumping each famous people and Twitter Blue subscribers collectively within the blue test bucket, although people also can have a smaller secondary emblem displaying “they belong to an org if verified as such by that org,” Musk defined in a follow-up tweet.
Musk has been fidgeting with verified test marks since he took over. He first tried an $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription that blurred the road between authenticated people and paid accounts, resulting in a slew of individuals impersonating celebrities and companies that brought on mayhem. Then Twitter added grey test marks for “official” accounts of governments, media retailers, enterprise companions and “some public figures,” however then eliminated the checks as the corporate dithered on who would get the “official” label.
The brand new three-color scheme appears designed to scale back impersonations whereas preserving subscriber income.
Musk additionally famous that “all verified accounts will likely be manually authenticated earlier than test prompts,” although it is unclear whether or not this will likely be completed completely by Twitter or if customers will likely be concerned in authenticating their id. Twitter didn’t reply to a request for remark. Musk famous {that a} longer clarification will likely be coming subsequent week.
Later within the day Musk, floated the potential for creating his personal smartphone if Apple and Google resolve as well Twitter from their respective platforms. “I definitely hope it doesn’t come to that, however, sure, if there is no such thing as a different alternative, I’ll make another telephone,” he tweeted in a response to a query concerning the state of affairs.
Musk supplied few different particulars, however the creation of not only a smartphone, however a rival cell platform that will get across the Apple App Retailer and Google Play Retailer is extremely tough, requiring a mixture of customized {hardware} and software program.
Contemplating how stitched Elon is between Twitter, SpaceX and Tesla, entering into the telephone enterprise may not be one of the best thought.
Nov. 24: Musk pronounces ‘amnesty,’ additionally fires engineers earlier than Thanksgiving
After tweeting a non-scientific ballot a day earlier, Musk introduced the outcomes on Thursday. Greater than 72% of three.16 million respondents voted “sure” to the query: “Ought to Twitter supply a common amnesty to suspended accounts, supplied that they haven’t damaged the legislation or engaged in egregious spam?”
“The folks have spoken. Amnesty begins subsequent week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he tweeted Thursday, referencing a Latin phrase that interprets as “voice of the folks, voice of God.”
Individually, Musk could also be within the operating for this 12 months’s Ebenezer Scrooge award after reportedly firing roughly 50 engineers proper earlier than Thanksgiving, in response to tech e-newsletter Platformer. The e-newsletter was corroborating a report from The Verge that some Twitter engineers acquired emails on Wednesday saying they’d been fired as a result of their “code just isn’t passable.” Twitter engineers had earlier been instructed to ship code samples to Musk. His “hardcore” strategy to work is broadly recognized inside Silicon Valley, together with at his different firms the place he is demanded “minimal” 40-hour workweeks from employees.
In the meantime, the Monetary Occasions reported that Twitter disbanded its workplace in Brussels, Belgium, after leaders there exited the corporate. The FT stated two of the executives had led Twitter’s efforts to adjust to the EU’s Digital Providers Act, which units guidelines round content material moderation, amongst different issues. Others reportedly managed the corporate’s relationship with European regulators.
Twitter did not instantly reply to requests for remark.
Nov. 23: Musk may reinstate extra suspended accounts
Musk floated the concept of providing “a common amnesty to suspended accounts” so long as they have not damaged the legislation or engaged in “egregious spam.”
In a tweet, Musk polled customers concerning the thought. It is unclear what number of accounts this potential change would cowl, however some customers have raised considerations that doing so would end in extra hate speech and different dangerous content material spreading on the platform.
Musk has been bringing again accounts that Twitter suspended for violating its guidelines towards hateful conduct, COVID misinformation and glorification of violence. He reinstated former US President Donald Trump’s account after polling customers concerning the thought. Twitter suspended Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots as a result of the platform feared his tweets may incite extra violence.
Nov. 22: Musk faucets iPhone hacker for assist
George Hotz, a hacker recognized for being the primary individual to jailbreak an iPhone in 2007 and founding autonomous driving startup Comma.ai, accepted a 12-week “internship” at Twitter to assist enhance the social media community’s search capabilities. Hotz and Musk have had a sophisticated relationship. Hotz has claimed he turned down a job to work at Tesla, whereas Musk has dismissed the notion that Hotz and Comma.ai may create a greater autonomous driving system than Tesla’s Autopilot.
In the meantime, Twitter is present process a cost-cutting marketing campaign that The New York Occasions studies consists of refusing to pay distributors for excellent payments. The associated fee cuts are focusing on infrastructure, journey bills, software program providers and actual estates, the Occasions studies, citing a number of unnamed sources.
On the similar time, The Washington Put up and business watchers Pathmatics and Media Issues For America reported that as many as half of Twitter’s prime 100 advertisers have both introduced or seemingly stopped spending on the platform.
Nov. 21: Much more account bans elevate, Musk holds off on paid verification relaunch
Nonetheless extra once-suspended accounts continued to have their bans lifted. On Nov. 21, US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s private Twitter account was unlocked, 10 months after being completely suspended for violating Twitter’s COVID misinformation coverage. However amid the parade of restored accounts, Musk claimed one ban will stay in place: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Later within the day, Musk tweeted that Twitter is “holding off” the relaunch of paid verification via its Twitter Blue subscription service till “there’s excessive confidence of stopping impersonation.” Twitter paused the brand new verification system earlier in November after customers who bought the verified blue test marks posed as main manufacturers, politicians, athletes and different celebrities. Twitter was anticipated to relaunch paid verification on Nov. 29. Musk tweeted that the corporate will in all probability use a distinct shade test mark for organizations versus people.
Nov. 20: Extra suspended accounts revived, World Cup begins
After Musk reversed former US President Donald Trump’s everlasting ban, extra suspended accounts got here again on-line, together with that of Kanye West. Generally known as Ye after altering his identify final 12 months, West tweeted to his 32 million followers for the primary time in two weeks, after he had been locked out for an antisemitic risk.
Venture Veritas, a conservative activist group recognized for hidden-camera movies, was additionally reinstated, after being suspended final 12 months for disclosing folks’s private info, a cost it denied.
Individually, the FIFA World Cup kicked off. The occasion usually spurs spikes in Twitter utilization, as folks world wide converge to enjoy real-time updates and posts associated to its matches. Within the flood of utilization, worries endured that Twitter is likely to be tripped up by outages and disruptions because it copes with working with a fraction of its ordinary employees. However the first day of the event appeared to proceed with out Twitter experiencing any main incidents.
Nov. 19: Musk lets Trump again on Twitter
Elon Musk’s long-expected reversal of Trump’s everlasting ban from Twitter got here true, opening the door for the controversial politician to regain his social media megaphone.
Musk had polled customers on Twitter about whether or not Trump needs to be allowed again onto the platform. The ultimate outcomes of that ballot confirmed 51.8% in favor of reinstating Trump and 48.2% towards.
“The folks have spoken,” Musk tweeted. “Trump will likely be reinstated.” An account with the acquainted identify @realDonaldTrump confirmed up on the positioning. Twitter, like different social networks, had booted Trump after the lethal Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots.
Individually, Bloomberg reported that Musk is contemplating firing extra workers on the gross sales and partnership facet. He reportedly requested leaders, together with Robin Wheeler, the top of gross sales and advertising and marketing, to fireplace extra workers. Wheeler refused and misplaced her job (she lists herself as an ex-Twitter gross sales exec on her profile).
Twitter, which has laid off its communications division, did not reply to a query despatched to its its press e mail.
Nov. 18: Musk asks engineers to come back to the workplace. Beforehand banned accounts get reinstated
Twitter workers had been locked out of the corporate’s headquarters, however Musk reportedly despatched an e mail asking for some software program engineers to go again into the workplace, in response to Bloomberg. Musk requested the coders to fulfill with him and supply examples of their coding work so as to assist him higher perceive the software program.
Musk tweeted concerning the firm’s coverage on speech saying sure tweets is not going to have “freedom of attain.”
“Adverse/hate tweets will likely be max deboosted & demonetized, so no adverts or different income to Twitter,” he stated. “You will not discover the tweet except you particularly search it out, which isn’t any totally different from remainder of web.”
Screenshot by CNET
Musk adopted that tweet with one other saying conservative media character Jordan Peterson, right-wing satire web site The Babylon Bee and comic Kathy Griffin can have their banned accounts reinstated. Twitter booted Peterson and The Babylon Bee from the platform earlier within the 12 months over anti-trans tweets whereas Griffin had her account suspended final week for altering it right into a Musk parody account.
Musk additionally tweeted that Twitter hasn’t decided relating to former President Donald Trump’s account, however Yoel Roth, the previous head of belief and security at Twitter, stated in a New York Occasions opinion piece revealed Nov. 18 that the ex-president’s reinstatement was “close to certainty.” Twitter banned Trump from its platform in 2021 due to considerations his remarks may spark extra violence after the lethal Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Roth, who resigned from the corporate, wrote how Musk known as for extra censoring of tweets after a surge of hate speech confirmed up on the platform following his takeover. He additionally went on to clarify the necessity for content material moderation was not solely vital to maintain advertisers blissful, nevertheless it additionally was wanted to appease app retailer homeowners and authorities entities, such because the European Union, which have legal guidelines towards hate speech.
In a 24-hour ballot on Twitter, Musk requested customers if Trump’s account needs to be reinstated.
Twitter customers are nonetheless fearful concerning the platform’s potential dying, particularly forward of high-traffic occasions such because the FIFA World Cup that kicks off on Nov. 20. The New York Occasions, citing three folks near the corporate, reported that some estimates confirmed that no less than 1,200 workers resigned on Nov. 17 after Musk gave them a alternative to remain or depart.
Person security is one other large concern on Twitter. CNN reporter Oliver Darcy tweeted that the White Home is asking Twitter to clarify the way it’s safeguarding “the protection of Individuals’ on-line information.” The White Home did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 17: Twitter customers concern finish is close to. Musk locks workplace doorways. Many workers take severance. Senators need investigation
Twitter customers began tweeting farewell remarks as #RIPTwitter trended on the platform within the US and different elements of the world.
Fears a few potential collapse of the positioning got here after a whole lot of workers determined to go away the corporate earlier within the day. One former Twitter worker instructed The Washington Put up that there isn’t any longer a “skeleton crew manning the system.”
Twitter “will proceed to coast till it runs into one thing, after which it should cease,” the worker stated.
Musk tweeted a meme with Twitter’s emblem on a headstone.
The remaining 3,500 or so workers who had been left at Twitter after 1000’s had been laid off had a option to make on the finish of the day on Nov. 17: Stay below Musk’s plan for an intense “Twitter 2.0” or depart with three months of severance pay.
As much as 75% of remaining workers selected the exit, in response to Fortune and Bloomberg, creating confusion about what number of remaining folks would have entry to the workplaces. The Verge reported that those that left included some “legendary” engineers and coders.
Across the similar time, the corporate apparently locked the doorways to its San Francisco headquarters till Nov. 21, in response to tech e-newsletter Platformer.
Twitter, which can not have a public relations division, did not reply to a request for remark.
All of this occurred after Musk softened his stance on how he needed to run the brand new Twitter, no less than considerably. An e mail despatched to Twitter workers on Nov. 9 stated distant work can be banned, however an e mail to workers on Nov. 17 said that distant work is feasible if authorized, in response to a report from Bloomberg.
“All that’s required for approval is that your supervisor takes duty for guaranteeing that you’re making a superb contribution,” Musk stated within the e mail. He additionally needs workers to have in-person workforce conferences no less than as soon as a month.
Scoop: I’m listening to far fewer than anticipated devs hit “sure”.
Elon despatched out an e mail stress-free distant working from the previous draconian coverage.
I am listening to he’s having conferences w prime engineers to persuade them to remain.
Appears like taking part in hardball doesn’t work. Ofc it does not. https://t.co/VrPEn4IwBG
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) November 17, 2022
Twitter can also be dealing with extra scrutiny from US lawmakers. A bunch of Democratic senators despatched a letter to Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the US Federal Commerce Fee. Outlined within the letter are what the legislators described as “alarming steps” taken by Musk together with new options which have been utilized by scammers, a rise in hate speech and the removing of cybersecurity executives inside the firm, probably placing customers’ private information in danger.
The senators level out that these actions may place the corporate in violation of the FTC’s consent decree to guard this information as a part of a settlement with the fee in 2011.
“We urge the Fee to vigorously oversee its consent decree with Twitter and to convey enforcement actions towards any breaches or enterprise practices which are unfair or misleading, together with bringing civil penalties and imposing legal responsibility on particular person Twitter executives the place acceptable,” the senators stated.
Among the many seven senators who signed the letter are Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Twitter violated the consent decree in Might when the FTC discovered the corporate used safety information like telephone numbers and e mail addresses to focus on promoting at customers. This led to a $150 million settlement paid by Twitter.
Musk appeared to finish the day poking enjoyable at his earlier warning that Twitter might go bankrupt.
How do you make a small fortune in social media?
Begin out with a big one.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022
Twitter has not responded to a number of requests for remark.
Nov. 16: Musk calls for ‘hardcore’ work tradition. Dorsey’s ‘nope’
Musk emailed all employees to define his imaginative and prescient for “Twitter 2.0,” which would require an “extraordinarily hardcore” tradition, with lengthy hours and excessive depth, in response to Pragmatic Engineer author (and former Uber engineer) Gergely Orosz. Staff should comply with this on Thursday or depart with three months of severance pay.
Scoop: Elon Musk simply despatched an e mail to all employees outlining “Twitter 2.0″, writing it should”should be extraordinarily hardcore”. Lengthy hours, excessive depth.
Individuals have to click on “sure” to substantiate being a part of this by 5pm ET tomorrow, else they get 3 months severance. Extra particulars:
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) November 16, 2022
Throughout testimony Wednesday over a Tesla shareholder case alleging that his wage as CEO is extreme, Musk additionally reportedly instructed the courtroom that he doesn’t need to be CEO of Tesla, and that his chief govt management of Twitter is a brief association.
“I anticipate to scale back my time at Twitter and discover any individual else to run Twitter over time,” he stated, in response to CNBC.
Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
When a follower requested Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey if he’d think about returning as CEO, Dorsey responded with a agency “nope.” There isn’t any indication that he obtained a proposal to return — the follower’s question got here after Dorsey engaged in dialog about Twitter’s future and expressed confidence that the positioning would survive. His earlier tenure as CEO resulted in Might 2021, and he left its board of administrators in Might 2022.
Nov. 15: Staff fired for talking about Musk on Slack
Staff who criticized Elon Musk in Twitter’s Slack channels had been fired in a single day by way of e mail, Platformer’s Casey Newton stated in a tweet. They had been apparently instructed their “current habits has violated firm coverage.” It is unclear how many individuals had been affected.
Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 14: Musk needs better Twitter video help
Talking by way of video hyperlink, Musk instructed enterprise leaders throughout the G20 summit in Bali that he needs to see Twitter help extra longer-form video to herald extra content material creators. He additionally famous that he is been working “on the absolute most quantity … from morning til evening, seven days every week” because the acquisition.
Nov. 13: SpaceX reportedly buys main Twitter advert bundle
SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace firm, ordered a Twitter “takeover” promoting bundle for its satellite tv for pc web service Starlink, CNBC reported. It will seemingly promote the service on folks’s Twitter timelines in Spain and Australia and might value greater than $250,000. It comes after some advertisers paused campaigns because of the upheaval at Twitter.
SpaceX did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 12: 1000’s of contract workers seemingly terminated
Twitter lower 1000’s of contract workers, in response to Platformer’s Casey Newton, Axios and CNBC, with Newton reporting that round 4,400 of Twitter’s roughly 5,500 contractors had been affected. Most did not get any discover and came upon as a result of they misplaced entry to the corporate’s e mail and inner communications programs, Newton reported.
The corporate did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 11: Twitter Blue subscription choice vanishes
The choice to join the $8 a month subscription service Twitter Blue is not accessible on Twitter’s iOS app, as earlier reported by The Verge. The shift comes days after the service launched for Apple gadgets and previous to its Android launch. Making an attempt to subscribe on desktop directs you to the iOS app.
CNET can verify that this manifests in two distinct methods: the choice to subscribe has vanished from the sidebar, and tapping the hyperlink provides you an error message.
Making an attempt to subscribe to Twitter Blue on the iOS app resulted on this message on Nov. 11.
Twitter/Screenshot by CNET
“Thanks to your curiosity!” it reads. “Twitter Blue will likely be accessible in your nation sooner or later. Please test again later.”
It is unclear why the corporate paused signups for the service, however a lot of customers reportedly purchased verification to impersonate manufacturers and celebrities. An inner be aware posted on Slack stated it stopped folks from subscribing “to assist deal with impersonation points,” in response to tech outlet Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer.
Twitter did not reply to CNET’s request for remark.
Nov. 10: Musk bans distant work and warns of chapter, lawyer says he is risking billions in FTC fines
Musk despatched his first emails to workers on Nov. 9, warning that “the financial image forward is dire.” He banned distant work except he personally authorized it, in response to Bloomberg, whereas The New York Occasions reported that he instructed staff “absolutely the prime precedence is discovering and suspending any verified bots/trolls/spam.”
An lawyer on Twitter’s privateness workforce posted a message within the firm’s Slack warning that Musk’s give attention to monetizing its customers is making him take harmful steps, The Verge reported. It is apparently at explicit threat of incurring billions in fines from the Federal Commerce Fee within the wake of a Might settlement relating to the usage of private data to focus on adverts.
Twitter’s chief privateness officer, Damien Kieran; Chief Data Safety Officer Lea Kissner; and Chief Compliance Officer Marianne Fogarty all resigned, The Verge famous. Kissner’s departure confirmed her departure in a tweet.
Musk additionally reportedly instructed workers chapter was a chance, Bloomberg reported, citing an individual accustomed to the matter. Two extra Twitter executives — Yoel Roth, the corporate’s head of belief and security, and Robin Wheeler, who led advertising and marketing and gross sales at Twitter — additionally resigned, in response to the report. Wheeler then determined to remain on the firm after Musk persuaded her to take action, Bloomberg reported. Roth, Wheeler and Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro did not reply to a request for remark.
Nov. 9: Musk tries to reassure advertisers amid confusion about test marks
Twitter’s rollout of a new verification system is messy. Twitter began including grey test marks and an “official” label to high-profile Twitter accounts however then scrapped a number of the modifications hours later.
In an hour-long stay audio chat on Twitter later within the day, Musk stated the brand new labels are an “aesthetic nightmare when trying on the Twitter feed” and “one other manner of making a two-class system.”
Esther Crawford, who oversees early-stage merchandise at Twitter, tweeted that the corporate would nonetheless be rolling out the “official” label however to authorities and business entities first. Twitter additionally began permitting folks so as to add blue test marks to their profiles in the event that they pay $8 a month for a Twitter Blue subscription. Scammers are already utilizing the brand new system to create pretend accounts. Twitter stated it will droop accounts engaged in misleading techniques and impersonation.
Within the audio chat, Musk mentioned Twitter’s plans for a content material moderation council and selections by firms to quickly pause their promoting campaigns on Twitter.
“I do not assume having hate speech subsequent to an advert is nice. Clearly,” he stated. Musk additionally stated he thinks it should take Twitter a few months to create a content material moderation council.
He signaled, although, that he is not planning to decelerate in terms of altering Twitter.
“The speed of evolution of Twitter will likely be an immense step change in comparison with what it has been previously,” he stated. “You already know, if nothing else, I’m a technologist and I could make expertise go quick.”
Nov. 6: Paid test marks could also be pushed again, Musk cracks down on impersonation
Paid verification reportedly delayed till after election
Twitter is suspending the rollout of verification badges related to an $8 month-to-month subscription service till after the midterm elections, in response to The New York Occasions.
Impersonators get the boot
Musk warned that any Twitter account participating in impersonation with out clearly specifying that it is parody would get hit with a everlasting ban. In response, some customers modified their names to “Elon Musk,” which led to their suspension.
Nov. 5: Paying for test marks, listening to from Dorsey
Pay-for-verification plan reveals up in iOS replace
Model notes for the most recent iteration of Twitter’s app for the Apple iPhone confirmed up within the App Retailer, with a What’s New part that pointed to the verification characteristic. The notes inform customers that “beginning right now” when you “enroll now” for an $8-a-month Twitter Blue subscription, “your account will get a blue test mark, identical to the celebrities, firms, and politicians you already comply with.” It seems, although, that this system hasn’t really kicked in but. Learn extra right here.
Dorsey weighs in
With information studies saying Twitter had laid off about half its employees, co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey took to the service to supply phrases of encouragement and to position blame on himself.
“I personal the duty for why everyone seems to be on this state of affairs: I grew the corporate measurement too rapidly. I apologize for that,” Dorsey tweeted. He additionally known as Twitter staffers previous and current “resilient” and stated, “I’m grateful for, and love, everybody who has ever labored on Twitter. I do not anticipate that to be mutual on this second.”
In April, Dorsey expressed his help of Musk taking up the corporate, however he additionally stated that in precept, he thought nobody ought to personal or run Twitter and that it ought to as an alternative be “a public good.”
Nov. 4: Musk says Twitter has had ‘huge drop’ in income
Since Musk’s takeover, a number of main advertisers, corresponding to Tesla rival Basic Motors, meals firm Basic Mills and pharmaceutical company Pfizer, have quickly paused their advert campaigns on Twitter. Musk tweeted that Twitter has had a “huge drop” in income, which he blamed on activist teams pressuring advertisers. Musk did not say in his tweet how a lot Twitter’s income has fallen, nor did he establish the activists. Within the tweet, Musk additionally stated Twitter hasn’t modified its content material moderation insurance policies.
Musk additionally made an look on the Baron Funding Convention, the place he famous that Twitter grappled with income challenges earlier than the acquisition and that he tried to get out of the deal.
His remarks got here after Twitter began shedding workers. Musk later tweeted that there was “no alternative when the corporate is dropping over $4M/day.” With out specifying how many individuals had been laid off or what proportion of the workforce, Musk added they had been “supplied 3 months of severance.” Reportedly, about half of Twitter’s 7,500-person work pressure was laid off.
Civil rights teams that met with Musk spoke out concerning the layoffs.
“For starters, there isn’t any strategy to maintain election integrity in place in case you are reducing capability to do the monitoring in #TwitterLayoffs,” tweeted Rashad Robinson, president of racial justice group Coloration of Change. The group is a part of #StopToxicTwitter, a coalition of greater than 60 organizations which are urging main advertisers to pause spending and put money into content material moderation. Companions listed on the coalition’s web site embrace the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, Public Citizen, and the Union of Involved Scientists.
The Volkswagen Group and others reportedly paused advert spending due to considerations that adverts may seem alongside problematic content material on the platform.
Nov. 3: Musk seems to be for tactics to chop prices, lawsuit filed
Musk needs to chop prices and make Twitter much less depending on promoting.
Reuters, citing two sources accustomed to the matter and an inner Slack message, reported that Musk directed Twitter’s workforce to search out greater than $1 billion in infrastructure value financial savings.
The corporate is different methods to become profitable exterior of promoting, together with “paywalled” movies and paid direct messages, The New York Occasions reported, citing two folks with information of the matter and inner paperwork.
Musk is already making modifications to Twitter’s work tradition. Bloomberg reported that Musk has eliminated “days of relaxation” from Twitter’s worker calendars and plans to cancel the corporate’s distant work coverage. Twitter did not reply to a request for remark.
Twitter reportedly instructed workers in an e mail that layoffs would occur. A lawsuit looking for class motion standing, accused Twitter of violating the federal Employee Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires massive firms to present no less than 60 days of advance discover earlier than mass layoffs, as beforehand reported by Bloomberg.
Nov. 2: Musk reportedly plans to chop half of Twitter’s workforce
Musk plans to chop about 3,700 jobs at Twitter, or half of the social media firm’s workforce, Bloomberg reported. Affected staffers are to learn of their destiny by Nov. 4, sources instructed the information outlet.
Musk additionally plans to reverse the corporate’s current work-from-anywhere coverage, requiring remaining workers to report back to an workplace, the unidentified sources stated.
In a single state of affairs for decreasing Twitter’s workforce being thought-about, laid off staff will likely be supplied 60 days’ price of severance pay. Twitter customers have been bracing for layoffs since Musk introduced his bid for Twitter in April. One report indicated that Musk deliberate to chop 75% of jobs at Twitter.
Nov. 1: Musk suggests charging for verification
In a sequence of tweets, Musk floated the concept Twitter cost $8 per thirty days for a verified blue test mark as a part of its subscription plan. The corporate’s subscription service, often known as Twitter Blue, at the moment prices $5 per thirty days however does not embrace verification as a perk.
Twitter at the moment does not cost to confirm accounts with a blue test mark, and the badge is meant to be given out to accounts that the corporate determines are “notable, genuine and energetic.” The blue test mark is supposed to assist customers decide if an account of a celeb, journalist or different public determine is pretend or not.
Musk tweeted that the worth can be adjusted by nation and that the subscription would come with “precedence in replies, mentions & search, which is important to defeat spam/rip-off,” in addition to the “capacity to publish lengthy video & audio.” He additionally stated customers would see “half as many adverts.”
Earlier within the day, The Wall Road Journal reported that Twitter Blue subscribers will lose entry to ad-free articles from publishers like Vox, the Los Angeles Occasions and Insider. There have been varied studies of various costs for a Twitter Blue subscription, with the corporate additionally reportedly having thought-about growing the subscription value to $20 a month.
It is unclear from Musk’s tweets if verified customers must pay for a subscription or lose their blue test mark. Musk tweeted there can be “a secondary tag” for public figures, just like the one now used for politicians.
The corporate’s chief buyer officer, Sarah Personette, additionally revealed in a tweet that she resigned.
Hello people, I needed to share that I resigned on Friday from Twitter and my work entry was formally lower off final evening.
— Sarah Personette (@SEP) November 1, 2022
In the meantime, Twitter stated it has eliminated 1,500 accounts since Oct. 29 for posting hateful content material.
Oct. 31: Official CEO, board dissolved, layoff plans, no Trump choice but, content material moderation restricted
Days after naming himself “Chief Twit” on his Twitter profile, Musk confirmed he is the corporate’s CEO via a securities submitting. Different modifications to Twitter’s management are additionally underway. A associated securities submitting reveals Twitter’s board of administrators was dissolved the day Musk took over and recognized Musk because the “sole director” of the corporate.
He additionally reportedly plans to put off 25% of Twitter’s workforce, The Washington Put up reported, citing nameless sources.
Musk, who has beforehand stated he would reverse former US President Donald Trump’s everlasting ban from Twitter, continues to be getting questions on whether or not he’ll comply with via on that. Twitter booted Trump from its platform in 2021 following the lethal US Capitol Hill riot due to considerations that his remarks may incite extra violence.
“If I had a greenback for each time somebody requested me if Trump is coming again on this platform, Twitter can be minting cash!” Musk tweeted.
Twitter additionally restricted some Belief and Security worker entry to inner instruments, Bloomberg reported, curbing their capacity to reasonable content material and deal with misinformation forward of subsequent week’s US elections. They will apparently nonetheless edit or take away posts that would end in real-world hurt.
“That is precisely what we (or any firm) needs to be doing within the midst of a company transition to scale back alternatives for insider threat. We’re nonetheless imposing our guidelines at scale,” Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security and integrity, tweeted in response to Bloomberg’s story.
Oct. 30: Musk toys with test mark modifications and Vine revival, tweets misinformation
Musk has been busy suggesting modifications to Twitter. He tweeted a ballot about whether or not Twitter ought to convey again Vine, a short-form video app that Twitter shut down in 2017.
Twitter additionally reportedly plans to cost $20 per thirty days for its Twitter Blue subscription service, and verified customers would lose their blue test mark if they do not achieve this in 90 days, The Verge reported, citing nameless sources. Platformer’s Casey Newton reported that Twitter is considering charging $5 a month to verified customers in the event that they need to maintain their blue test marks.
Musk additionally tweeted after which deleted a hyperlink to an article with a baseless conspiracy concept about final week’s assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of US Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco. The article got here from an internet site known as the Santa Monica Observer. Reality-checking web site Media Bias/Reality Verify famous the outlet publishes right-wing misinformation.
Oct. 29: Twitter battles a surge in racist slurs
Twitter is making an attempt to fight nameless accounts that began to tweet racist slurs hours after Musk took over Twitter.
Twitter head of security and integrity Yoel Roth tweeted that the corporate has “seen a small variety of accounts publish a ton of tweets that embrace slurs and different derogatory phrases.” He added that “greater than 50,000 tweets repeatedly utilizing a specific slur got here from simply 300 accounts.”
“Backside line up entrance: Twitter’s insurance policies have not modified. Hateful conduct has no place right here. And we’re taking steps to place a cease to an organized effort to make folks assume we now have,” he tweeted.
Let’s speak for a minute about slurs, hateful conduct, and trolling campaigns.
Backside line up entrance: Twitter’s insurance policies haven’t modified. Hateful conduct has no place right here. And we’re taking steps to place a cease to an organized effort to make folks assume we now have.
— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) October 30, 2022
Oct. 28: Twitter to kind content material moderation council
Advocacy teams have raised considerations that Musk’s management over Twitter would enable extra hate speech and misinformation to floor on the platform. Musk has vowed publicly he does not need Twitter to turn out to be a “free-for-all hellscape” however has additionally stated that he is “towards censorship that goes far past the legislation.”
Musk stated the corporate would kind a content material moderation council with “broadly numerous viewpoints.” The corporate will not make any main content material selections or account reinstatements earlier than the council convenes, he tweeted.
Twitter will likely be forming a content material moderation council with broadly numerous viewpoints.
No main content material selections or account reinstatements will occur earlier than that council convenes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022
A securities submitting on Oct. 28 additionally famous that Twitter’s inventory is being delisted on the New York Inventory Trade. Twitter, a publicly traded firm, turned a personal one.
Oct. 27: Musk takes over Twitter, fires executives
Musk turned Twitter’s new proprietor and reportedly fired key executives on the firm, together with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of authorized coverage, belief and security.
Earlier within the day, Musk tweeted a letter to advertisers. The billionaire, who as soon as tweeted that he hated promoting, now posted that “promoting, when completed proper, can delight, entertain and inform you.”
Musk met with workers all through the week, carried a sink into Twitter’s headquarters as a photograph op and adjusted his profile to “Chief Twit” earlier than information broke that the deal had been accomplished.
CNET employees contributed to this report.
