Elon Musk Calls Twitter's Mission To Be The Most Accurate Source Of Information, It Triggers Debate

JAKARTA – The statement by the new CEO of Twitter Inc, Elon Musk, on Sunday, November 6 that the social media platform's mission is to be the most accurate source of information about the world, has now sparked debate. Arguments have sprung up over how it will be achieved by Twitter and who determines what is accurate or not.

A series of drastic actions including firing half staff and billing users that Musk has taken since he took over Twitter last week have provided some early clues about how the platform will be reshaped by the world's richest man.

Several advertisers have pulled out of contracts since the deal was announced, while Musk has blamed pressure from activist groups worried about moderating his content.

"Twitter has to be by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That's our mission," Musk said Sunday, as quoted by Reuters.

His tweet immediately sparked tens of thousands of replies and sparked heated debate over how the mission would be accomplished. "Accurate to whom?" asked the founder and former CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.

Musk, who also runs electric vehicle company Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, said last month that Twitter would set up a content moderation board with "very diverse viewpoints".

Musk, who claims to be a free speech absolutist, said at the time that no major content decisions or account recovery would take place before the board convenes.

Musk also said last Sunday that Twitter users who impersonate without clearly naming them a "parody" account will be permanently suspended without warning.

The comments came as Kathy Griffin's account was blocked after the US comedian changed her name to Elon Musk. The hashtag #FreeKathy then went viral on Twitter.

"I guess not all content moderators are exempt? LOL," he joked in a post on Mastodon, an alternative platform to Twitter and other social media sites he followed last week.

Musk said Twitter had previously issued a warning prior to the suspension, but that when it rolled out broad verification, there would be no warning and "no exceptions."

"This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up for Twitter Blue," said Musk, who added that any name change would cause the verified checkmark to temporarily disappear.

American actress Valerie Bertinelli also used Musk's name to post a series of tweets in support of the Democratic Party candidate ahead of midterm elections in the United States this week.

He switched back to his name again on Sunday, tweeting: "Okay-dokey I had fun and I think I made my point."

Meanwhile, Twitter on Saturday 5 November updated its app on Apple's App Store to begin charging $8 for the blue tick verification it seeks as it seeks to shore up revenue.

Benefits of the verification service will include "half ads", the ability to post longer videos to Twitter, and priority ranking for quality content.

But earlier on Sunday, November 6, the New York Times reported that Twitter had finally delayed rolling out verification check marks for its new service subscribers until after Tuesday's midterm election, November 8.

In more signs of confusion after Musk's takeover, Twitter is now recalling dozens of employees who lost their jobs and asking them to return.

Some of those who were asked to return were dismissed by mistake. Others were let go before management realized that their work and experience might be needed to build the new features Musk envisioned.

Twitter itself did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the re-hiring effort.