Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Twitter was once a dependable news resource, but since several significant changes in its ownership and business practices were made under Elon Musk, the website can no longer be considered such.
This transition has had profound consequences, altering the platform’s role from a reliable source of real-time news to a more chaotic and less trustworthy environment.
“Entering Twitter HQ—let that sink in,” said Elon Musk upon completing his acquisition of the company on Oct. 26, 2022.
The next day, a Twitter employee shared a tweet from CNBC revealing that Twitter’s CEO, CFO and general counsel had been fired, along with its head of legal, policy and trust.
Thus began the downfall of Twitter’s long standing reputation.
For over a decade since its beginning in 2006, Twitter had established itself as a trustworthy news platform.
It played a pivotal role in significant events, such as the tweet by commuter ferry passenger Janis Krums that broke the story of the successful water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River.
Additionally, it covered President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory against Mir Hossein Mousavi and the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010.
Twitter’s ability to ease communication and promote movements, such as the Red Cross’s mobile giving campaign, established its crucial role in news and politics.
One of the most controversial changes under Musk’s leadership was the introduction of a monthly verification subscription. This allowed any user to obtain a blue checkmark, traditionally reserved for verified government, news and celebrity accounts. This led to immediate, widespread impersonation issues, severely undermining the platform’s credibility.
Immediately after the change, a newly verified account impersonating the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly tweeted, “We are excited to announce insulin is free now.” This tweet remained on the platform for hours before it was taken down.
The real Eli Lilly later tweeted, “we apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account.”
Eli Lilly’s stock price dropped sharply after the false message was posted, as did other pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, which also fell victim to imitation.
Another user impersonated Tesla, Musk’s automotive company, using the paid subscriber blue checkmark. This account appeared as “@TeslaReal” and wrote a plethora of tweets, one of which read, “honestly the 53% drop in stock price doesn’t phase us. if there’s anyone who knows about Crashing it’s us.”
In 2023 Musk also came close to violating a federal privacy order with the company’s data security as stated by the US Federal Trade Commission. Despite Musk’s assurances about adhering to regulatory standards, the damage to Twitter’s reputation was evident.
“I cannot emphasize enough that Twitter will do whatever it takes to adhere to both the letter and spirit of the FTC consent decree. Anything you read to the contrary is absolutely false. The same goes for any other government regulatory matters where Twitter operates,” Musk said.
However, these assurances did little to restore the confidence of users and advertisers who had witnessed the platform’s rapid decline.
Further compounding Twitter’s issues were the recent alleged API leaks, which potentially exposed sensitive information regarding the platform’s internal algorithms and policies. Although some have cast doubt on their validity, the viral attention these leaks accumulated immediately piled onto the site’s already damaged reputation.
The alleged data showed that Twitter’s algorithms had been adjusted to disproportionately benefit conservative figures and right-leaning news outlets, increasing their visibility and reducing content moderation for these accounts.
This supposed bias in the recommendation algorithm further amplified conservative voices on the platform, leading to widespread concerns about the platform’s integrity and impartiality.
Twitter’s transformation from a trustworthy news resource to a platform riddled with misinformation and impersonation reflects a profound shift in its governance and business practices. Under Musk’s leadership, the erosion of credibility has far-reaching implications for users, advertisers and the broader public discourse.
The changes implemented under Musk’s tenure have fundamentally altered the nature of the platform, making it a less reliable source of information. As Twitter continues to grapple with these challenges, its future as a trusted news resource remains uncertain.
Melissa Unlu is a computer science senior who can be reached at [email protected]
