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☆ Elon Musk's 'amnesty' pledge brings back QAnon, far-right Twitter accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

A “general amnesty” has restored hundreds of accounts of right-wing activists and QAnon adherents, according to data reviewed by NBC News. The reinstatement of far-right accounts has coincided with a series of bans of left-wing accounts, leaving users unsure of how the company is now applying its rules. It’s a dangerous combination.”The reinstatements and bans come as researchers continue to monitor an uptick in hate speech, and high-profile users leave the platform. Among the spammers, copyright rule-breakers, adult-content creators and high-profile accounts, Twitter has reopened the door to a growing and emboldened community of trolls, white nationalists, conspiracy theorists and extreme right-wing activists. Those reinstatements also come after Twitter dramatically reduced its staff, including those dedicated to dealing with abuse and hate speech.

☆ Fact Check-Elon Musk did not say journalists with ‘they/them’ pronouns would pay more for Twitter verification
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire Elon Musk has not tweeted that he will double the Twitter verification fee for journalists who list nonbinary pronouns in their online bio, as claimed by some social media users. Instagram users shared a screenshot of a tweet that reads, “BREAKING: @elonmusk says journalists with ‘they/them’ pronouns in bio will pay a $16 monthly fee instead of the standard $8 verification because ‘they’ identify as multiple people.” (here) , (here) , (here). Musk has previously drawn criticism for mocking people who list their preferred pronouns in their online bios (here). After receiving backlash for the tweet, Musk tweeted in Dec. 2020, “I absolutely support trans, but all these pronouns are an esthetic nightmare” (here). Although Musk has been openly critical of people using nonbinary pronouns, there is no evidence that he said he would charge journalists using ‘they/them’ pronouns a higher fee for Twitter verification.

☆ E.U. warns Musk to beef up Twitter controls ahead of new rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Musk has signaled an interest in rolling back many of Twitter’s previous rules meant to combat misinformation, most recently by abandoning enforcement of its COVID-19 misinformation policy. He already reinstated some high-profile accounts that had violated Twitter’s content rules and had promised a “general amnesty” restoring most suspended accounts starting this week. Along with European regulators, Musk risks running afoul of Apple and Google, which power most of the world’s smartphones. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen walked back her statements about whether Musk’s purchase of Twitter warrants government review. She declined to confirm whether CFIUS is currently investigating Musk’s Twitter purchase.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter risks opening floodgates of hate speech and extremism in India
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Yashraj Sharma | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SRINAGAR, India — For five years, Alt News has fought India’s rise in disinformation tied to Hindu nationalism, with Twitter as one of the main battlefields. All that is now in jeopardy amid the chaos at Twitter since its takeover last month by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. With 24 million users, India is Twitter’s third-largest market after the United States and Japan, as well as one of its greatest challenges. But more than 90% of Twitter’s 200-odd employees in India were reportedly among the thousands worldwide who have lost their jobs under Musk’s ownership. “Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them,” he wrote.

☆ Twitter must comply with Europe’s platform rules, EU digital chief warns Musk in virtual meeting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter has “huge work ahead” to meet its obligations under the Digital Services Act, Europe’s new platform regulation, said Thierry Breton, the EU’s digital chief, in a readout of his meeting with Musk. European commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton (L) attends the weekly College meeting at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on November 9, 2022. The meeting between Breton and Musk follows an earlier discussion the two had in May in which Musk expressed support for the European regulations. In addition to EU scrutiny, Musk’s Twitter could also face additional pressure at home. Yellen added that it could be appropriate for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review Musk’s Twitter takeover.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter Politics Add to Pressure on Tesla’s Brand Image
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Patrick Coffee | Rebecca Elliott | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Self-identifying Democrats in particular have soured on the car maker since Mr. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in late October, according to data from research firm Morning Consult. Mr. Musk, who plays a large role in the public image of Tesla and now Twitter, on Nov. 7 urged voters to back Republicans in the midterm elections. Net favorability is the percentage of respondents with positive perceptions of a brand minus the percentage with negative perceptions. Tesla also has millions of active supporters online, as does Mr. Musk. More than 94% of U.S. adults are now familiar with Mr. Musk, up from about 75% one year ago, according to Mr. Marlatt of Morning Consult.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Triggers Partisan Clash on Government’s Role
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Elon Musk‘s takeover of Twitter Inc. is fueling a partisan clash in Washington, as Democrats raise concerns about the platform’s security and Republicans counter that the criticism is a thinly veiled attempt to stamp out conservative voices on the site. Democrats including President Biden have pointed to Mr. Musk’s ownership of Twitter, most recently over staff cutbacks that some Democrats say could potentially compromise the platform’s ability to secure the personal data of its users.

☆ Elon Musk has upended Twitter’s business. Here’s how he could fix it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Tesla CEO has previously said he “hates advertising” and, as Twitter’s owner, professed a desire to make the company more reliant on subscription revenue than advertising dollars. Twitter has always struggled to turn its outsized influence in media, politics, and culture into a highly successful advertising business. Twitter’s advertising business has long been smaller than that of rivals like Facebook, in part because it didn’t offer the same level of user targeting. To successfully overhaul Twitter into a thriving subscription business would be to buck the trend of many other media properties that have struggled with the model. Twitter’s ad woesWhether he likes advertising or not, the business made up 90% of Twitter’s revenue prior to Musk’s takeover and replacing it won’t be an immediate shift.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Elon Musk tweet surfaces after Trump’s reinstatement on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A fabricated image purporting to show a tweet published by billionaire Elon Musk urging people who disagreed with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reinstatement on Twitter to delete the app has surfaced online. The supposed tweet dated Nov. 20 and purportedly sent via Musk’s official Twitter account (@ElonMusk) reads: “If you don’t like Trump’s reinstatement or the way I’m running Twitter or getting several daily push notifications from my account, then delete the app. The image was fabricated and no such tweet was published by Musk. A search through Musk’s Twitter account did not reveal the supposed tweet nor did a Twitter advanced search reveal the purported post (twitter.com/elonmusk), (archive.ph/wip/b0CfB). Musk did not urge Twitter users who disagree with former president Trump’s reinstatement on the platform to delete the app.

☆ How Elon Musk’s Twitter Faces Mountain of Debt, Falling Revenue and Surging Costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

Elon Musk says his $44 billion Twitter takeover might result in a bankruptcy filing. To make the deal work, Mr. Musk has been trying to add subscription revenue and reassure advertisers about the platform’s future. What’s more, the company’s debt stack now includes floating-rate debt, meaning that interest costs are set to rise as the Federal Reserve continues to increase interest rates. Twitter’s credit ratings, which were below investment grade before the transaction with Mr. Musk, have deteriorated further. For that, Mr. Musk would need to persuade potential investors that he has a viable long-term business plan, he said.

☆ Disney’s tale of two Bobs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This was a big surprise Sunday night, for a few reasons:1) Iger has previously dismissed the idea of going back to Disney. Then, he kept going: Iger’s Disney acquired Lucasfilm, home of the Star Wars franchise, for a little over $4 billion. Disney shares surged 9% Monday morning, reflecting investors’ hopes that Iger will swoop in and work his magic. The Trump news was no surprise — even before buying Twitter, Musk made clear he would reinstate Trump and rethink the site’s content-moderation policies. And if Musk’s strategy is to stoke controversy, he’s already brought out the big guns in letting Trump back on.

CNN —Former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated on the platform. The account, which Twitter banned following the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, was restored after Twitter CEO and new owner Elon Musk posted a poll on Twitter on Friday night asking the platform’s users if Trump should be reinstated. Asked on Saturday what he thought of Musk purchasing Twitter and his own future on the platform, Trump praised Musk but questioned whether the site would survive its current crises. It may make it, it may not make it.”Still, Trump said he liked Musk and “liked that he bought (Twitter. Soon after Trump’s Twitter ban, he was also restricted from Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, which could also restore his accounts as soon as January 2023.

☆ If you’re thinking about quitting Elon Musk’s Twitter, here’s how to use alternative Mastodon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It has been reported that more than 200.000 new users flocked the social media app after the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk. One of the fastest growing alternatives is Mastodon, which looks and feels a lot like Twitter. In the 12 days after Musk bought Twitter, Mastodon app downloads on Apple App Store and Google Play for Android surged more than 100 times previous rates to 322,000 installs during the period, according to analysis by Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm. That's still a lot lower than the over 245 million daily active users of Twitter that CEO Elon Musk tweeted about this week. Davide Bonaldo | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBecause anyone can set up their own Mastodon server, there's no central place to sign up like twitter.com.

☆ Elon Musk’s SpaceX is buying an ad package on Elon Musk’s Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —While a number of major brands have announced advertising pauses on Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk’s acquisition, the platform has scored a new ad buy from one notable billion-dollar business: Musk’s SpaceX. Musk confirmed on Twitter Monday that his aerospace company, SpaceX, bought a package to advertise its Starlink internet service on Twitter, though he downplayed the size of the ad buy. The ad buy would be the first for any of Musk’s companies, including Tesla, which does not engage in traditional advertising. “SpaceX Starlink bought a tiny – not large – ad package to test effectiveness of Twitter advertising in Australia & Spain,” Musk wrote in a reply to one Twitter user, adding that he did the same on competitors such as Facebook, Instagram and Google. A number of major brands including General Mills, the North Face and several car companies (which compete with Musk’s Tesla) have announced they are pausing ads on the social network.

☆ Twitter’s Advertising Exodus Accelerates, Despite Outreach From Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Suzanne Vranica | Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The advertiser exodus from Elon Musk’s Twitter Inc. is accelerating, and it could be hard for the billionaire to bring them back soon. The lengthening list of advertisers pausing their spending on the social-media platform two weeks after Mr. Musk’s $44 billion takeover is adding to the financial pressure on the company. Mr. Musk spent the past week trying to assuage advertisers’ concerns, but many of them are defecting anyway.

☆ Chaos unchecked: A comprehensive timeline of Elon Musk's Twitter verification saga - for now
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Elon Musk's revamped Twitter Blue launch has hit some major snags in the past week. The shenanigans surrounding the blue check (and subsequent gray check) has heads spinning among average Twitter users, major advertisers and big-name celebrities. Here's a look at everything that's happened with Twitter Blue in the past week and the murky state of verification on the platform. Musk's new verification model was designed to become part of Twitter's existing Twitter Blue feature, a $4.99 monthly subscription offering premium services. He also said that Twitter is adding a "parody subscript," because "tricking people is not ok."It is unclear when and how Twitter Blue may be reinstated.

Some Twitter users are already abusing the platform’s new for-purchase verification badges by impersonating high-profile athletes, including NBA star Lebron James. A bogus tweet from the verified account impersonating James came from the handle “@KINGJamez.” It erroneously claimed that the Lakers player had requested a trade. The tweet from the verified account pretending to be McDavid falsely claimed the player was signing with the New York Islanders. In recent days, several previously verified users who impersonated Musk were banned from the platform. Prior to Musk’s Twitter acquisition, the platform had rules against impersonation and rules about how parody accounts could be used on the site.

☆ Twitter layoffs in India, Africa could weaken the company in its biggest growth markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Twitter laid off thousands of employees across the company on Friday, including staff in India and Africa. Under siege in critical marketsEven before the layoffs, Twitter was going through a tough time in both India and Africa. Tech experts now fear that the company will find it even harder to navigate new laws in emerging markets. Twitter does not share user numbers, but according to India, the platform has 17.5 million users in the country. “Content moderation has to be specific to geography,” said Vivan Sharan, partner at Delhi-based tech policy consulting firm Koan Advisory Group.

☆ Disney will solve its Netflix problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) boss Bob Chapek is knee-deep in the video-streaming money pit. New subscribers keep signing up, too: Disney+ counts 164 million, a 39% jump from 12 months earlier. With investors now prioritizing costs over growth, however, Disney shares fell 10% in after-hours trading. Netflix generated $5 billion of operating profit over the first nine months of 2022. If the Netflix enterprise commands 18 times expected EBITDA, per Refinitiv data, Disney will find enough fairy dust to warrant a multiple higher than 12 times.

☆ Primark’s price freeze is risky inflation gambit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Primark is breaking with the pack to navigate soaring inflation. Its largest rival Inditex (ITX.MC), owner of Zara, is taking a different approach by hiking prices over the next year. AB Foods Chief Executive George Weston appears to be willing to sacrifice Primark’s near 10% operating margin to keep price-sensitive customers happy. Assume inflation shaves almost 3 percentage points off the retail unit’s operating margin next year, taking it down to 7%. The 4% bump in AB Foods’ share price on Tuesday suggests investors reckon the plan may work.

☆ Fact Check-Elon Musk’s Twitter account was not suspended following Twitter job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk’s Twitter account was not suspended after major redundancies were announced at Twitter on Nov 4. Another individual linked to the same suspended account, with the tweet gathering more than 133,000 likes (here). Musk’s Twitter account remains active and viewable (twitter.com/elonmusk). The suspended account highlighted in the tweets is not Musk’s official Twitter handle. There is no evidence to support claims that Musk’s account was suspended after redundancies were announced at Twitter.

☆ Twitter could be a new wild card for the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN Business —For years, Twitter has been a leader in countering misinformation and protecting elections. But concerns are growing that tumult inside Twitter in the first week after it was acquired by Elon Musk could weaken its safeguards for elections, just before the midterms are set to take place. Musk promised not to alter any of Twitter’s content policies until after the midterms. He tweeted: “Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” and without warning. The shakeup at Twitter has turned the company itself into an election wildcard.

☆ Japan baulks at U.S. car credits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Nov 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Japanese carmakers don’t offer much in the way of new technology. Nonetheless, Tokyo is sounding the alarm on U.S. President Joe Biden’s plan, via his Inflation Reduction Act, to offer credits for electric vehicles, officially noting it threatens Japanese carmakers in America, and will discourage investment. A new three-page comment from the government on the credits mentions the word “allies” nine times and reminds Biden that Japanese car makers have been investing in the United States for more than 40 years. After Tokyo stood firm behind the United States in slapping financial sanctions against Russia this year, Washington highlighted the pair’s alignment. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Inside Twitter Inc. in the week after Elon Musk took it over, almost no one seemed to know for sure what was going on. As Mr. Musk opined and joked on the platform about possible product changes, the mood among many inside the company was anxious and grim, according to interviews with employees. The one thing that seemed certain to employees was that many of them would soon lose their jobs, they said.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter Begins Layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Alexa Corse | Robert Mcmillan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twitter Inc. has told employees it would notify them about head-count reductions on Friday, a move that comes about a week after billionaire Elon Musk acquired the social-media company. The company, in a message sent to staff on Thursday, didn’t spell out the extent of the cuts. Twitter had more than 7,500 employees at the start of this year, according to a regulatory filing.

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