Evolution VC Partners founder Gregg Smith responds to potential “massive” layoffs on Twitter on “Varney & Co.”
Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey went back and forth on Twitter about content moderation and misleading information on Sunday night in the wake of Tesla CEO’s takeover of one of the world’s most used social media platforms.
Dorsey, who founded Twitter in 2006, responded to Musk’s tweet that Twitter must become the “most accurate source of information about the world.”
“exactly for whom?” asked Dorsey.
“As judged by the folks at Twitter via Community Notes (formerly Birdwatch),” Musk replied.
ELON MUSK SAYS THAT TWITTER WILL SOON ALLOW USERS TO MONETATE CONTENT AND MAKE LONG POSTS
Jack Dorsey (left) and Elon Musk (right) discussed Twitter’s Community Notes feature and its commitment to accuracy on Sunday. (Portal photos)
“I still think… Birdwatch is a far better name, and ‘more informative’ is a far better target,” Dorsey countered, prompting the two men to debate the purpose of the feature and its name.
“Not everything has to have ‘bird’ in the name! Too many bird groups fight each other internally on Twitter. Angry Birds,” Musk joked. Community Notes, which add labels and context to potentially misleading tweets, launched in 2021 as Birdwatch.
The feature began after the 2020 presidential election as a “community-based approach to combating misinformation.” A tweet posted by the White House last week was infamously flagged for falsely crediting Biden with increasing Social Security payments.
Dorsey’s exchange with Musk comes a day after the former CEO posted an introspective reflection on how he’s run Twitter.
“People at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient,” Dorsey tweeted Saturday. “You will always find a way, no matter how difficult the moment.”
“I realize that many are angry with me,” he continued. “I’m responsible for why everyone is in this situation: I scaled up the company too quickly. I apologize for that.”
Musk laid off about half of the company’s 7,500 employees on Friday.
Musk tweeted that the Twitter layoffs were necessary because the company was losing more than $4 million a day.
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It was reported on Sunday that the social media platform was reportedly trying to bring some of these workers back. According to Bloomberg, dozens of workers are being asked to return, some accidentally laid off and others with experience building features the new Twitter owner wants.
Another major move by Musk involves the new $7.99 subscription service that will allow regular users to have blue ticks. The function will reportedly be postponed until after Tuesday’s midterm elections. A Twitter executive told the New York Times the launch of the subscription service is scheduled for Wednesday.
An iOS update from Apple over the weekend said users who sign up for the service could get the blue tick next to their name.
The new $7.99 subscription service, which allows regular users to have blue ticks, will be delayed until after the midterm elections, according to a Twitter exec. (Fox News)
“Your account will get a blue tick, just like the celebrities, businesses, and politicians you already follow,” the announcement said.
MUSK ANNOUNCES NEW TWITTER POLICY ON IMPERSONATORS
Musk was referring to the subscription service while poking fun at comedian Kathy Griffin for being banned from his platform. Griffin changed her profile name to impersonate Musk, in violation of the company’s policy against impersonation and spoof accounts.
Kathy Griffin’s account disappeared from Twitter after she changed her profile name to impersonate Elon Musk. (Getty Images)
“Actually, she was suspended for posing as a comedian,” joked the SpaceX founder.
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“But if she really wants her account back, she can have it,” he added. “For $8”
Musk has also announced other sweeping changes to the platform, including the ability to attach long-form text to tweets, monetization for content creators, changes to Twitter’s search functionality, and a pay-for-verification plan.
Musk also doubled down on his plan to promote freedom of speech on the platform.
“My commitment to freedom of expression extends even to not suspending the account that follows my plane, despite the fact that doing so poses a direct personal security risk,” Musk tweeted.
Fox News’ Paul Best contributed to this report.