Dear Elon Musk, Twitter Needs Privacy And Accountability Policies First, An Edit Button Can Wait
Elon Musk is known for voicing his opinions. He has quite a following on Twitter with whom he has shared his ideas and thoughts over the years.
By Akriti Rana and Nimish Dubey
We woke up to the sound of buzzing headlines. One of the biggest tech deals was on the verge of being struck when we put our phones to rest last night. This morning, it was a done deal!
Elon Musk had bought Twitter!
A speculation tsunami was building ever since Elon Musk, arguably one of the biggest names in tech, CEO and founder of companies like SpaceX and Tesla, decided to pick up a 9.1 per cent stake in the microblogging website. The move made him the biggest investor in the platform and left people guessing as to what the next Musk-move would be.
Many predicted he would join Twitter as a board member and for good reason. He seemed to have accepted the position for a brief while which he confirmed with a tweet but then decided to stay just an investor. The rumours fizzed and the tug of war of guesswork only became more intense. There was even talk of him acquiring Twitter, which had us wondering whether Musk buying Twitter would be a good idea or not.
It did not take too much time for this guess-game to end. The tech world had not even finished discussing, meme-ing and tweeting about the massive investment the tech billionaire had made in Twitter, when it was hit with the news that Elon Musk was now the owner of the microblogging website.
If that does not tell you about the way Musk moves, nothing will.
Musk is known for voicing his opinions. He has quite a following on Twitter with whom he has shared his ideas and thoughts over the years. Some of these ideas have also revolved around Twitter itself and how with a few tweaks and additions, it would become a better platform, in his book. While these ideas used to get attention earlier as well, owing to Musk’s massive following, once he became the biggest shareholder in Twitter, suddenly the possibility of all the tweaks and edits he was proposing seemed like they were about to grab reality’s finger.
For instance, right after getting on board as an investor, Musk took a poll on Twitter about whether the platform needs an edit button or not. As expected, this poll, not only received an overwhelming response but also got the rumour mills going as to whether it was something that was actually going to happen or not. In another one of his polls, Musk asked his followers if Twitter’s algorithm should be open source to which almost 83 per cent people voted ‘yes.’
But this is not news. The charismatic tech billionaire has ideas and we all know it. And while these ideas seem to be potentially fate-changing for Twitter, we think, this change of proprietorship can inspire some big picture changes and not just day to day ones.
Do not get us wrong, we are all for Twitter becoming more functional and feature-rich but there are few core problems that Twitter suffers from, and we think those should be dealt with first.
Twitter is a very speedy platform and its character limit keeps the content on the site very to the point, unlike other social media platforms where never-ending paragraphs can overwhelm one in no time. Just the ease of typing a short tweet and getting that bit of information going has a very effortless appeal to it. This also comes in quite handy in case of emergencies, as witnessed during the pandemic. Many international agencies use the platform to get support and important information across during crises. This quick and uncomplicated nature of Twitter also makes it easy for people to get their opinions on a certain matter out, without getting too much into detail.
But like most social media platforms, Twitter's USP which is keeping it swift, simple and short can actually become a curse as well. One of the biggest issues that the micro-blogging site faces at the moment are trolls. These trolls are people whose sole purpose is to insult, intimidate, abuse and harass people online. They wear a cloak of criticism and then come at you with all their might and get into harassment mode in no time. Those who are active on Twitter know that having an opinion and getting trolled for it is pretty much everyday business on the social network.
The existence of such people on social media platforms is quite inevitable but we think, with the change of regime, Twitter could also do with a few policies that make the platform a safer place for people to express their opinions. Yes, you can currently report abusive tweets on the platform but Twitter is, unfortunately, like an age-old bureaucratic office that is too set in its ways when it comes to handling complaints. Even when you report abusive comments or tweets, there is often no action taken at all and even actions taken are often not stringent enough to keep the abusers away. The best way (and sometimes the only way) to deal with it then is either to block that account or suspend your own Twitter handle, neither of which actually is a viable solution.
We think Twitter should have a pro-active approach while dealing with abuse and harassment. Twitter is a massive platform with deep enough pockets and now with Musk on board we do not think having limited resources would be one of its problems. So what is stopping Twitter from screening tweets more closely for abusive content? It has become much too easy for trolls to send harassment, rape and even death threats on Twitter. Perhaps what the micro-blogging site needs is a tweet screening algorithm which can identify and take down abusive tweets right after someone makes them, which should be followed by account suspension immediately.
Twitter needs a change of privacy and accountability policy. Changes like having an edit button or making Twitter’s algorithm open source may benefit the site, but it is time someone took a close look at the changes that will benefit and safeguard the interests of its users. Will its new owner be that someone?
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.]
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