Elon Musk Asks Followers if New Social Media Platform is ‘Needed’
Written by SOURCE on March 28, 2022
Elon Musk has a question for his followers.
The Tesla CEO—who recently challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “single combat”—hopped back on Twitter on Friday to ask his followers about free speech, and if they feel “Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle.” In a poll he shared, in which over 2 million users participated, roughly 70% said “No.”
“The consequences of this poll will be important,” Musk wrote. “Please vote carefully.”
The consequences could’ve been Musk’s now-proposition for a “new platform” just a day later. On Saturday, he quote-tweeted his poll and asked “what should be done” given the result.
“Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” he wrote. “What should be done?”
Then, he proposed the big question: “Is a new platform needed?”
While Musk only asked a question and didn’t share any plans, he wouldn’t be the first big name potentially trying to jumpstart a new social media platform if that’s what he decides to do. Former President Donald Trump—who has been effectively banned from Twitter over tweets surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol—launched his own platform, “Truth Social,” earlier this year. Deadline shared that the app resembles Twitter, as it features a timeline layout and options to like and comment on posts.
“Get Ready,” Trump wrote last month in his first post on the platform, which was met with many error messages early on. “Your favorite President will see you soon!”
