December 1, 2022
The journey of Twitter's reincarnation has been bumpy to say the least. Earlier this week Elon Musk was unhappy with Apple's decision to stop advertising on Twitter and in usual Elon fashion aired his grievances online. He also alleged that Apple was thinking of removing the app from their store and threatened to create his own smartphone in retaliation. Elon even suggested that the tech giant's actions stem from their 'hate' of 'free speech in America.'
He then retweeted a tweet accusing the tech giant of imposing a secret 30% tax in their App Store.
Now, just a few days later, he's promptly backtracked the feud and the two are now seemingly on good terms. He chalked up the conflict to a 'misunderstanding' and thanked CEO Tim Cook for a tour of Apple's headquarters.
It's definitely been a turbulent ride for Elon Musk and everyone involved. After announcing his decision to acquire Twitter, trying to back out from the deal, and then finalizing the acquisition, Elon disbanded the Board of Directors and bestowed himself with all decision making powers. He then pledged his goal to transform the company into one that will exercise free speech and accessibility for all.
Next came a flurry of flash firings in Twitter offices all over the world in an attempt to trim the fat and create a more efficient working environment. This prompted wrongful dismissal lawsuits from many employees while some were actually called back after a whiplashing change of heart. Hundreds of workers also quit when given the ultimatum to either work longer, more strenuous hours in the office or leave.
Changes were also made to the verification process allowing users an option to buy their verification badge for $8 a month. This move, with the intention of allowing everyone the benefits of verification, has created chaos as users began to create spoof accounts of prominent celebrities and companies including Elon Musk.
Pharmaceutical brand Eli Lilly & Co. suffered a massive drop in the stock market after a spoof account created by Sean Morrow announced that the company was no longer charging customers for insulin, giving them out for free. The official account later issued a statement confirming that the tweet was misleading and made from a fake account.
The company's tone-deaf response sparked even greater backlash as users quickly countered with the fact that the medication shouldn't even be charged at such exorbitant prices in the first place.
The price of insulin has soared in the U.S. making it near impossible for patients to afford it. There have been accounts of people having to stretch their doses or even go without. Others even displayed how outrageous the prices have become in the United States compared to other countries.
Shortly after the ban on Donald Trump's account was lifted allowing him to return to Twitter. Trump was previously banned for posting dangerous misinformation during his presidency.
All of these issues has caused concern among its user base, including businesses, as Apple is not the only company to distance itself from the social media app. Merck, Kellogg, Verizon, and Jeep, among others, have also steered clear of the app as a result of Elon's changes, removing their advertisements from the platform. This translates to a total of 100 advertisers (or one third of Twitter's client base).
Comments