Twitter Users Seek Decentralized Alternatives Post Elon Musk’s Dramatic Changes

The Elon-Twitter deal has been making headlines, but few know why he wanted to purchase the social media platform in the first place.

Elon Musk wants to transform social media and ensure that Twitter represents his vision of free expression. However, this does not mean that his plan or vision is error-free. 

Fake news, spam, scams, and bots are abundant on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Elon Musk wants to end this and is working hard to turn Twitter around.

The distinction between genuine free speech and restriction is blurry, though.

Elon Musk published a flurry of tweets on his new platform on November 7. One of them stated that the company’s goal was to “become the world’s most accurate source of knowledge.”

The CEO, a billionaire, promoted his intentions for paid verification. Musk said they will “democratize media and empower the voice of the people.” However, based on the responses, he isn’t persuading journalists and internet users, at least at the moment. 

Community Expresses Disapproval 

Musk has added that the network would begin assessing verified accounts with an $8 monthly fee (the blue badge). He believes that doing this will put an end to spammers, imposters, and false accounts. However, nothing prevents these organizations from paying the price and “verifying” themselves.

Michael Saylor said it would be beneficial for both company and the world if he could charge for various levels of verification.

However, some people have found it incorrect to even allow journalists to verify their Twitter accounts.

Dr Ashley Winter, a frequent user, said: 

“Journalists exist because they are professionals in communication. Muddying reliable sources doesn’t democratize information sharing; it makes it unreliable.”

Twitter Alternative

Twitter users have already begun looking for alternatives. Those opposed to Musk’s ideas are currently promoting a website called Mastodon that resembles his.

The social network has more than 655,000 subscribers, according to the BBC. Moreover, after the Twitter takeover, more than 230,000 people joined.

“Toots” is the name for tweets. They can be liked, re-posted, commented on, and posted. Like on Twitter, users can follow one another.

Mastodon is a decentralized social media platform that utilizes several servers owned and managed by both people and organizations. An account that cannot be closed by a single, centralized body is what makes it appealing.

The disadvantage is that it can be used to spread offensive content and hate speech, which is already happening. This is where censorship and free expression converge. Both have disadvantages in the actual world.