On Monday, Twitter announced that its board of directors unanimously agreed to Elon Musk's offer to buy the social network at a price of $44 billion. The deal brings one of the most influential online platforms under the control of one of the world's richest people.
Musk, who is a prolific Twitter user himself, tweeted the same day that he hopes "even my worst critics remain on Twitter because that is what free speech means."
He has repeatedly criticized efforts to moderate speech on the service, but many people are still unsure what the purchase means for the future of the company.
Scott Kessler, global sector lead for technology media at Third Bridge, for example, said in a statement, "It seems that major changes are ahead for Twitter if Musk succeeds, but the specifics at this point are pretty lacking."
So to paint you a better picture of what all of this means to the internet, we at Bored Panda put together a list of reactions the citizens of the techkingdom had to the news.
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Yo, stop giving him effing ideas! Infograph he’s totally going to shutdown Twitter that’s why he bought it. And if he doesn’t shut it down, he’ll change it so it’s sucks…the new name: Twatter
Reuters reported that political activists expect that a Musk regime will mean less moderation and reinstatement of banned individuals.
"Free speech is making a comeback," said U.S. Representative Jim Jordan, a member of the Freedom Caucus of conservative House Republicans.
Jordan and other Republicans have been critical of Twitter for banning former President Donald Trump and other notable conservatives.
He could single handedly improve the world and make such a difference to humanity. But he just wants to trend on Twitter. I swear to God obscene wealth is wasted on the rich
But human rights activists have already raised concerns that the deal could lead to unfettered hate speech.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a progressive and a critic of the tech platforms, called the deal "dangerous for our democracy."
"Billionaires like Elon Musk play by a different set of rules than everyone else, accumulating power for their own gain. We need a wealth tax and strong rules to hold Big Tech accountable," she said.
The Wall Street Journal said that Twitter employees reacted to Musk's takeover with a mix of enthusiasm, fear, and humor, as people who work there tried to anticipate their future.
"It's a time of genuine discomfort and uncertainty," Edward Perez, director of product management for societal health at Twitter, said. "Most of us believe deeply that Twitter is much more than a tech platform; we have a deep responsibility to society. I hope our new owner gets that."
Other employees joked about the situation. One said "Send us all Teslas!" while another employee predicted the musician Grimes, mother to two children with Mr. Musk, will perform at the company's end-of-year party.
The UN also refused to show him exactly where the money was going once he handed it over.
Not really...If there are two options available and option 1 is buying something you can afford whereas option 2 is changing something about yourself, most of us are going to choose option 1. Just look at premium services. I can pay an affordable fee to rid myself of annoying ads, or I could become a more patient person that tolerates a 30 second wait. You'd best believe I paid the fee.
Discussions over the deal, which last week seemed uncertain, accelerated over the weekend after Musk wooed Twitter shareholders with financing details of his offer.
Under pressure, Twitter started negotiating with Musk to buy the company at his proposed $54.20 per share price.
Yo, Dan Rather basically just said he’s going to go outside and enjoy nature cause he can’t Twitter 👀. He’s already speaking in code
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey weighed in on the deal and thanked both Musk and current Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal for "getting the company out of an impossible situation."
"Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret. It has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step," he said.
Twitter shares rose 5.7% on Monday to close at $51.70. The deal represents a near 40% premium to the closing price the day before Musk disclosed he had bought a more than 9% stake.
However, the offer is well below the $70 range where Twitter was trading last year.
That behavior doesn`t seem to represent an advocate for free speech?!?
"I think if the company [was] given enough time to transform, [it] would have made substantially more than what Musk is currently offering," said Jonathan Boyar, managing director at Boyar Value Group, which holds a stake in Twitter.
Coming back to the public, a survey of 2,000 Americans by Preply.com found that 2 in 3 people did not want Musk to take control of Twitter. In another survey done by platform OnePulse, 55.4% of 1,000 Americans believe Musk has his own interests in mind about buying Twitter.
Awwwwwww snap. Don't forget Elon was on Jeff Epstein's flight logs also.
yes of course. individual rights today are provided by a billionaire!!!!
Gaetz is a corrupt sack of s**t. I couldn't care less about his Twitter experience.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Elon Musk is trying his best to win the Twatbasket of the year, decade and century awards. Time to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award in Twatbasketry.
I know it's crazy, but I knew there was a reason I never used Twitter. Just never have. I'm just as happy as I was before.
I remember Donald Trump claiming there should be free speech on social media but also saying he should be allowed to sue people if they say bad things about him.
Trump's idea of free speech is being able to lie about whatever he wants, without consequences.
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Elon Musk is trying his best to win the Twatbasket of the year, decade and century awards. Time to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award in Twatbasketry.
I know it's crazy, but I knew there was a reason I never used Twitter. Just never have. I'm just as happy as I was before.
I remember Donald Trump claiming there should be free speech on social media but also saying he should be allowed to sue people if they say bad things about him.
Trump's idea of free speech is being able to lie about whatever he wants, without consequences.
Load More Replies...