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27th Oct 2022

Elon Musk announces his first big plans for Twitter

Stephen Porzio

Elon Musk Twitter Plans

The Tesla CEO says he bought the platform “to try to help humanity.”

Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to issue a statement in which he sheds light on his plans for the social media platform.

The statement, posted alongside the caption “Dear Twitter advertisers”, follows Musk being given a deadline of Friday, 28 October to close his April deal to acquire the company.

In the Twitter post, Musk said there has been much speculation about why he bought the platform and what he thinks about advertising, before adding that “most of it has been wrong”.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he explained.

“There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right-wing and far left-wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.

“In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarised extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.”

Musk said that he bought Twitter not to make more money but “to try to help humanity” whom he loves.

“And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility,” he added.

However, the Tesla CEO also said that Twitter “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.”

“In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature,” he explained.

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you.

“For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content.

“Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise.

“To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together,” he concluded.

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