Elon Musk he claimed to be an “absolutist of free speech”. A statement that made more than one commentator worry about the possibility that Twitter can become a place where fake news and toxic content subscribe. Something that could alienate those who seek advertising. But it appears that a group within Twitter has reassured advertisers: their advertising won’t end up alongside problematic content.
Twitter reassures advertisers after Musk acquisition
According to reports from the Financial Times, a Twitter team has contacted some advertising agencies after the announcement of the acquisition by Elon Musk. In the emails, the company allegedly insisted that advertising will not be placed next to problematic or dangerous content.
The stance comes after Musk’s statements on his ‘absolutism of free speech’. That could create problems for the company, which owes 90% of its turnover to 4.5 billion a year in advertising revenue.
Musk has in the past expressed a willingness to focus more on subscriptions than advertising. By saying that depending on advertising revenue makes Twitter have to submit to the will of the corporations regarding content moderation.
However, it appears from the Financial Times report that advertising companies remain alert. In the next few months before Musk’s arrival on an operational basis they will decide how to handle the situation. If the social network reduces the controls on abusive or problematic content, they could invest differently.
However, if Musk has been talking conceptually about wanting to change Twitter, there are still no precise policies on how it intends to do this. We, like advertising agencies, will stay and see. And we will keep you updated.