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Billionaire Elon Musk’s Twitter quotes are approaching a dramatic decision this week as the social media company’s board of directors negotiates control of its platform with the tech entrepreneur.
According to media reports, Mr. Musk and Twitter’s board met in the early hours of Monday after Mr. Musk said last week that he had secured the financing needed to buy Twitter.
Opponents of Mr Musk’s takeover bid renewed their objections Monday after rumors that a deal was imminent between Twitter and the electric vehicle and space tech tycoon. Mr. Musk was a prominent topic of conversation on the Twitter platform as his critics posted messages containing “#RIPTwitter” that predicted the end of the platform as users know.
“I hope even my worst critics stay on Twitter because that’s what freedom of speech means,” Mr Musk said in a tweet on Monday.
Mr Musk said in a regulatory filing last week that he had raised about $46.5 billion to buy Twitter, including using money from Morgan Stanley and other banks secured by its large stake in electric vehicle maker Tesla.
Mr. Musk’s recent moves have won him the support of prominent Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Representative Darrell Issa.
SEE ALSO: Liberal group suggests Twitter strikes deal with Musk to keep Trump off the platform
“@elonmusk’s bid to buy Twitter is a good deal for shareholders and raises the possibility that the platform will be a place where freedom of expression can flourish,” Mr. DeSantis said on Twitter on Monday.
Mr. Issa said he was with Mr. Musk and asked Twitter to do the same.
Liberal opponents of Mr. Musk are concerned about possible changes to Twitter’s digital censorship rules and the possible return of former President Donald Trump, who was banned by Twitter after the riot in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters for America, said on Monday that Twitter’s sale to Mr Musk would be “a victory for disinformation”.
“The Twitter board must acknowledge that if Musk is successful, Donald Trump, who has been banned from the platform for repeatedly violating the terms of service and inciting violence, will almost certainly be back on the platform within weeks,” Carusone said. expression. “The accounts of other extremists and white supremacists will likely be restored as well.”
Mr. Carusone also said that Mr. Musk’s takeover of Twitter would undoubtedly unleash conspiracy theories and pollute the information ecosystem with hate and lies.
Liberal women’s advocacy group Ultraviolet also warned on Monday of a widespread negative impact should Mr Musk have a say in Twitter’s business operations.
“Twitter will turn into a more dangerous place for women,” Ultraviolet spokesperson Bridget Todd said in a statement. “Online harassment and threats of violence, especially against Black women and women of color, will increase rapidly. Donald Trump will likely be turned into a platform where he can continue to spread disinformation, unfounded conspiracy theories, and incite millions of people to more violence.”
Investors examining the buzz surrounding Twitter disagree that the takeover by Mr Musk is bad news – Twitter shares rose more than 5% during trading on Monday.
Twitter did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
• The Associated Press news agency contributed to this article.
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