Elon Musk says what he wants to do with Twitter

Elon Musk has tweeted his plans for Twitter and how it might moderate content, ahead of his purchase of the social media site which is set to take place tomorrow.

“I wanted to reach out personally to share my motivation in acquiring Twitter. There has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it has been wrong”, he said.

“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence. There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”

Mr Musk has claimed that Twitter “obv has a strong left wing bias”, despite the company’s own studies that its algorithm amplifies right-wing news outlets more than others. Mr Musk made the claim in response to a conservative commentator who once alleged that a Syrian gas attack was a “false flag” operation by “deep state agents”.

“In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.

“That is why I bought Twitter. I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.

“That said, Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.”

Mr Musk had previously said that he was a ‘free speech absolutist’ and that he was “against censorship that goes beyond the law”. He went on to say that “If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.”

Such a definition, which Mr Musk appears to have now reneged upon, would go in the face of many laws. Moreover, some countries’ law permits much speech that is legal but that would be detrimental if left to spread on social media unhindered.

In the United States, for example, Holocaust denial is constitutionally protected free speech because of the First Amendment and would, under Mr Musk’s view at the time, be allowed on Twitter.

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you. For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content!

“Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

A court has given him until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal.

Mr Musk, the world’s richest person, agreed to buy the company for $54.20 a share in April, but by July had indicated that he had changed his mind, citing bot and spam issues.

He renewed his attempt to acquire the company earlier this month.