Tech & Startup

How are Twitter employees’ reacting to the Musk takeover?

Elon Musk Twitter
Musk announced early this month that Twitter would limit how many tweets per day various accounts can read. Illustration: Tanzid Samad Choudhury

Many former and current Twitter employees have already voiced their opinions regarding Elon Musk becoming their new employer. Their reactions are mixed, some being positive and enthusiastic and others not so much.

One such employee, Ned Miles have said that the power shift has not yet affected the employees, reports BBC.

He tweeted: "Can someone just tell me if I'm rich or fired please?"

Jack Dorsey, the platform's co-founder and most senior member of Twitter's board, tweeted: "Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness."

However, not all shared his optimism.

Bruce Daisley, who was Twitter's senior-most employee outside the US at one point, questioned Musk's idea of free speech on Twitter.

Speaking to the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2, he said that Twitter was in past the "free speech wing of the free speech party". But many people, particularly women and public figures, had been subjected to abuse on the platform.

"So that free speech angle has definitely been tried. And I do wonder what Elon's plan would be beyond that, really," he said.

Meanwhile, former Twitter board member Bijan Sabet wished that Musk's acquisition offer had been rejected, just like Facebook's 14 years ago.

"Fourteen years ago we turned down FB. While I wish the current board voted to remain independent, I still love Twitter the product and community as much as ever," he tweeted.

The New York Times reported that employees also raised concerns about Musk undoing their years of work and his unpredictable management style.

One employee raised question about what Musk's takeover could mean for Twitter's "commitment to responsible, ethical artificial intelligence and machine learning," according to CNN.

Chief Executive of Twitter, Parag Agrawal, said, "We need to continue doing that work," BBC reports quoting CNN.

Rumman Chowdhury, Twitter's director of machine leaning ethics, transparency, and accountability, supported the previous decision of not to appoint Musk to the board of directors.

She had previously tweeted that a Musk takeover could lead to a staff exodus.

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How are Twitter employees’ reacting to the Musk takeover?

Elon Musk Twitter
Musk announced early this month that Twitter would limit how many tweets per day various accounts can read. Illustration: Tanzid Samad Choudhury

Many former and current Twitter employees have already voiced their opinions regarding Elon Musk becoming their new employer. Their reactions are mixed, some being positive and enthusiastic and others not so much.

One such employee, Ned Miles have said that the power shift has not yet affected the employees, reports BBC.

He tweeted: "Can someone just tell me if I'm rich or fired please?"

Jack Dorsey, the platform's co-founder and most senior member of Twitter's board, tweeted: "Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness."

However, not all shared his optimism.

Bruce Daisley, who was Twitter's senior-most employee outside the US at one point, questioned Musk's idea of free speech on Twitter.

Speaking to the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2, he said that Twitter was in past the "free speech wing of the free speech party". But many people, particularly women and public figures, had been subjected to abuse on the platform.

"So that free speech angle has definitely been tried. And I do wonder what Elon's plan would be beyond that, really," he said.

Meanwhile, former Twitter board member Bijan Sabet wished that Musk's acquisition offer had been rejected, just like Facebook's 14 years ago.

"Fourteen years ago we turned down FB. While I wish the current board voted to remain independent, I still love Twitter the product and community as much as ever," he tweeted.

The New York Times reported that employees also raised concerns about Musk undoing their years of work and his unpredictable management style.

One employee raised question about what Musk's takeover could mean for Twitter's "commitment to responsible, ethical artificial intelligence and machine learning," according to CNN.

Chief Executive of Twitter, Parag Agrawal, said, "We need to continue doing that work," BBC reports quoting CNN.

Rumman Chowdhury, Twitter's director of machine leaning ethics, transparency, and accountability, supported the previous decision of not to appoint Musk to the board of directors.

She had previously tweeted that a Musk takeover could lead to a staff exodus.

Comments