Elon Musk has created a poll suggesting he might launch a new social media platform, as the billionaire seems to be less than happy with Twitter. Well, as the old saying goes, "if you want something done, do it yourself". And it appears that Musk might actually do something.
"Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?", Musk tweeted.
His message alone could launch weeks-long speculation among his fans, but the billionaire took it further, starting a poll and ramping up the seriousness of the situation, as he asked people to "vote carefully".
"Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?"
"The consequences of this poll will be important", Musk warned.
Well, it seems that people are not so happy with Twitter's policies too - more than 2 million netizens responded, with over 70% saying that the platform is failing to adhere to that principle, so the billionaire concluded with "is a new platform needed?"
Naturally, it may just be a mind game by the eccentric billionaire, urging Twitter to allow more freedom for users...or, maybe, Musk is dead serious.
A screenshot of comments to Elon Musk's poll on freedom of speech on Twitter.
In any case, netizens in the comments backed him, saying that Musk should definitely start a new social network - while others noted it would be enough if he just bought Twitter and relaxed its tight policies.
When asked directly, if he plans to launch an alternative social network with an open source algorithm and free speech as number one priority, Musk said he is "giving serious thought to this".
What will he do? Only God knows, but considering his sense of humour and resources, Musk could definitely create a huge social network - just to be sure he can crack daring jokes at any time without any troubles.
Various forms of censorship on Twitter became a major issue, as many netizens faced bans, suspensions, shadow bans and other measures, regarding “offensive” content. The platform is also pressuring users to self-censor their comments.