The Yuan requests your support! Our content will now be available free of charge for all registered subscribers, consistent with our mission to make AI a human commons accessible to all. We are therefore requesting donations from our readers so we may continue bringing you insightful reportage of this awesome technology that is sweeping the world. Donate now
EIU Talks Up Elon Musk's Twitter Grab With The Yuan
By Dexter Thillien, Ben Armour  |  May 02, 2022
EIU Talks Up Elon Musk's Twitter Grab With The Yuan
Image courtesy of and under license from Shutterstock.com
E-carmaker Tesla CEO Elon Musk has clinched a deal to take over Twitter for US$44 billion in one of the biggest leveraged buyouts every, one likely to shift control of the platform to the world’s richest person. Conservatives hope he restores ex-US President Donald Trump and other de-platformed firebrand right-wing politicos, while liberals hope he will curb fringe speech and conspiracy theorists and stifle disinformation. Dexter Thillien, Lead Analyst, Technology & Telecoms, The Economist Intelligence Unit, talks up the repercussions of this earth-shattering takeover with The Yuan.

LONDON - The tech giant’s shares (NYSE:TWTR) initially spiked on the announcement of the deal but have since trended downward as the flamboyant and mercurial entrepreneurial visionary injects a potent jolt of uncertainty and volatility for investors into a hitherto relatively stable if controversial brand. In his first tweet, the self-proclaimed “free-speech absolutist” and aspiring extra-terrestrial said, "…a public platform that is maximally trusted and… inclusive is extremely important..." Several of Musk’s other utterances would, however, seem to give the lie to his avowed intention to preserve Twitter as a “public platform” and “digital town square,” such as his suggestion the platform might become subscription based.

Twitter wields the power indeed to silence mighty princes but is it really a public forum, or an echo chamber of selective censorship?

Musk is never one to shy from rocking the boat and making some waves, so the only absolute is that change is in the wind, and The Yuan has therefore assayed to sniff that wind and has confabbed for that purpose with Dexter Thillien, Lead Analyst, Technology & Telecoms, The Economist Intelligence Unit, who offers his take on the potential repercussions of this earth-shattering takeover.


The Yuan: How do you think this acquisition will affect Twitter’s status as the “digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated”?

Thillien: Elon Musk has bought Twitter, but there are more questions than answers thus far. The only thing we know for sure is that Musk considers himself a “free-speech absolutist,” so that will be what the platform will primarily focus on from now on.


The Yuan: One person’s free speech is another one’s sedition, profanity, illegal hate speech, incitement to violence, obscenity… Musk’s notions of

The content herein is subject to copyright by The Yuan. All rights reserved. The content of the services is owned or licensed to The Yuan. Such content from The Yuan may be shared and reprinted but must clearly identify The Yuan as its original source. Content from a third-party copyright holder identified in the copyright notice contained in such third party’s content appearing in The Yuan must likewise be clearly labeled as such.
Continue reading
Sign up now to read this story for free.
- or -
Continue with Linkedin Continue with Google
Comments
Share your thoughts.
The Yuan wants to hear your voice. We welcome your on-topic commentary, critique, and expertise. All comments are moderated for civility.