Elon Musk's effort to buy Twitter for $44 million yielded fruit this week, and the Tesla head revealed plans to turn the company into a haven for "free speech." The acquisition from the richest man in the world has been polarizing, with some high-profile figures weighing in.
Some stars vowed to leave the platform, believing Musk will lessen the current community guidelines, allowing hateful comments on their feeds. Some people, who have violated the community guidelines in the past, hope for a new opportunity on the app. But some are staying for a different reason.
High-profile users who are vowing to leave
Actress and activist Jameela Jamil, who has 1 million followers on Twitter, posted shortly after Musk's acquisition of the company this week, saying it would be her last tweet.
"Ah he got twitter [sic]. I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold," she wrote, sharing photos of herself and her dog. "I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny. Best of luck."
Ah he got twitter. I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold. I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny. Best of luck. ❤️
Activist Shaun King left Twitter when Musk acquire the company, but hours later came back. His bio now reads: "I'm still here m*****f******." Since rejoining the platform, King has used it to campaign against Musk, sharing past reports of racism and a toxic work environment at Tesla, one of Musk's companies.
He also re-shared Musk's tweet, in which Musk explains what he means by his "free speech" plans for Twitter. "I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law. 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," Musk wrote.
King replied: "This is EXACTLY what we expected. He intends to allow hate speech and white supremacy, which are legal in the United States, on the platform. He intends to allow misinformation and disinformation, which are legal, on the platform."
Comic book writer Erik Larsen, who worked on The Amazing Spider-Man series in the 1990s, vowed early on in Musk's acquisition process to delete his Twitter if the billionaire succeeded in buying the company. It appears Larsen has left the platform since the buy.
Wrestler Mick Foley has not left the platform yet, but on Monday, said he'd consider it. "I'll be giving some serious thought to leaving @Twitter for good in the near future," he wrote. "I do not have a good feeling about where this platform is heading."