In an open letter to advertisers published on the eve of his eagerly anticipated $44 billion acquisition of the social media site, Elon Musk gave readers an insight into his ambitions for Twitter.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX stated in the letter published on Twitter on Thursday that he does not want the platform to turn into “a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences,” which appears to be a rhetorical revision of Musk’s earlier pledge to alter Twitter’s content moderation policies and turn the platform into a haven for “free speech.” The announcement comes a day after Musk put an end to speculation that he would terminate 75% of Twitter’s employees.
Users should be able to “select your preferred experience according to your preferences” and “adhere to the rules of the land” in addition to the platform being “warm and friendly to everybody,” according to Musk.
Musk’s remarks cast doubt on his intention to reinstate former president Donald Trump on the platform after he was suspended for tweets inciting violence during the uprising on January 6.
Creating “a shared digital town square where a wide range of opinions may be contested in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” was the motivation behind Musk’s purchase of the platform, he claimed in the statement.
Musk also addressed marketers directly, saying that effective advertising “can delight, educate, and inform you,” as opposed to “spam” ads that are irrelevant to the user.
Shortly later, the Interactive Advertising Bureau responded to those statements on Twitter. According to the group, advertising is not the enemy. The internet economy is fueled by advertising, which also helps give customers access to worthwhile goods and services.