Twitter's Possible End: What It Could Mean for the Press

John Lopez, Tech Times 30 November 2022, 03:11 pm

For a few weeks in November, the Twitter platform was in a state of pandemonium when users aired their concerns about the social networking service's continued demise.

#RIPTwitter trended on the platform as Elon Musk's takeover followed a series of mass layoffs, resignations, and fears of a total meltdown. Experts even pointed out that such extreme actions by the tycoon could eventually affect Twitter's ability to regulate harmful content and avoid data security crises.

What's Happening

Fortunately, Twitter's end still has yet to come, despite many users declaring to jump off the site onto similar networking platforms because of the new owner's aggressive new policies and antics.

Not everyone is a fan of the new Twitter chief. Critics were always hot to trot on the latest moves that Musk is making with the platform.

Some of Musk's recent actions that have fired up many comments are his decision to reinstate suspended far-right accounts on the platform through Twitter polls and his decision to make the platform's blue verified mark purchasable.

The site is still there. Tweets are still loading on the timeline. The risk is that this could change basically at any time. Twitter's upheaval could lead to it shutting down for good, which could mean a couple of nasty things.

What Could be Lost

The Guardian's writers discuss how, since its inception in 2006, Twitter has played a crucial role in global news. The platform has constantly shown itself to be the best resource for information, a forum for discussing ideas, and a place where the oppressed sectors can be heard.

However, only some people on Twitter are there to spread information or advocate for a cause. Trolls, extremists, and other like-minded individuals can also be found on Twitter. While the platform's security safeguards help to keep these types of individuals at bay, they are only sometimes sufficient.

The platform is also renowned for its capacity to amplify a message. Given that major corporations and political and public figures are committed to maintaining their Twitter handles, anyone can always gain access to influential individuals.

Furthermore, Twitter is one of the few sites where people may feel a genuine sense of community. Trends bring people together to discuss topics or debate hot perspectives and rumors. What made this even better is that anyone can access live information transmitted to the app in real time.

Twitter demolished a lot of traditional political media management by making the inner workings visible to all. It has also been one of the most effective press regulators in history, calling out lousy journalism and prejudice while bypassing the conventional gatekeepers.

The dust is yet to settle with the significant changes on Twitter. It will be interesting to see what will happen next.

What's Latest

According to Fox News, the Biden administration is "keeping a careful eye" on Twitter after Reuters' Andrea Shalal inquired what was being done to stop the social media site from turning into a "vector for misinformation" during a recent White House press briefing.

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