The big news over the past two weeks has been SA-born billionaire Elon Musk’s pending acquisition of Twitter and what the Tesla and Space X chief executive’s new ownership will bring to the bluebird social network?
The most recent news is Musk’s securing of $7.1 billion (around R111 billion) worth of financing for his $44 billion purchase of Twitter. The latest round of funding comes from a Saudi Prince, Larry Ellison – the 11thrichest man in the world, and cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Following the conclusion of the Twitter purchase, Musk is likely to appoint himself as interim CEO for a few months until a permanent replacement is installed, reports CNBC.
But with all of these imminent changes at the social media company, the question remains: Is Twitter a force for social good?
Commentator Eusebius McKaiser writes he cannot make his mind up, on the topic, and analyses the merits of Twitter and what it represents in the broader social experiment that is freedom of speech.
McKaiser argues that while Twitter has, indeed, been a force for good in some respects like removing the gatekeepers around getting your point of view across, “You no longer need to have a letter published in a newspaper for you to be heard everywhere. You can tweet your truth, unedited, right now. That is (mostly) a good thing,” it also has some pitfalls.
If Twitter is to be transformed into a place where free speech is paramount and allowed to operate unfettered in what Musk has termed free speech “absolutism” then it opens up pandora’s box to all kinds of hate speech and other negative aspects.
Here’s a round-up of opinions, editorials, and in-depth articles we’re reading:
Musk or no Musk, Twitter is no place for democratic debate – Daily Friend
The funny thing about AYO Technology Solutions’ share price – Daily Maverick
Zondo Commission is a historically unprecedented national treasure – Daily Maverick
TOM EATON | The great lengths John Steenhuisen will go … to become trendy – Sunday Times Daily (for subscribers)
Dudu Myeni must be made an example that no one is above the law – The Citizen (for subscribers)
EDITORIAL: Unpredictable global policymakers raise stakes for Reserve Bank – Business Day
FRIDAY BRIEFING | The ANC, Zondo and corruption: Nowhere left to hide. Anything the party can do? – News24
