Elon Musk buying Twitter may be a defining moment in the development of social media, as both sides of the U.S. political spectrum clash over Musk’s ownership. In essence, left leaning users take a huge issue with how Musk’s idea of free speech, which they see as letting racism and bigotry fester on the site without punishment. As for more right leaning users, they see it as an opportunity to use Twitter more effectively, without the platform suppressing what they can Tweet.

Twitter users on the left tend to be angrier over Musk’s ownership, citing a variety of issues with the new policy of free speech as well as Musk’s ability to simply buy out the platform. In regards to Musk buying the platform, these users express anger over the fact that Musk, who is the richest person in the world, according to investopedia, could be doing more to help people across the world rather than buying Twitter. 

This anger is bolstered by the fear that Twitter, which many of the left leaning users considered to be a safer place to express being a part of POC and LGBTQ communities, will be filled with alt-right trolls harassing them. A fear that is warranted, as multiple posts on more conservitive subreddits and on 4chan itself discuss using the “free speech” musk will implement to harass the established left leaning base. The left leaning users have protested Musk’s ownership in multiple ways, including by posting a picture of Musk with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.

As for conservative users, Musk’s ownership to them represents a change to a more accepting, more lenient leadership. To conservatives, they have often felt suppressed in regards to what they could express on Twitter. Twitter, being the 15th largest social media platform, is often a necessary place for American politicians to create a larger base. With former U.S. President Donald Trump using the platform to give his opinion on different events and calling out his opponents in the 2016 election and throughout his presidency, the platform has grown to become more important to aspiring politicians. However, the platform has consistently banned consrvitive figures with even Trump himself being removed from the platform. This has caused this feeling of being suppressed within right leaning users. 

Due to the suppression conservatives feel they have faced, many of them are now fully supporting Musk, believing that he might create an environment for them to post freely on Twitter. These calls of support, which include elected individuals like Texas Representative Lance Gooden, have garnered thousands of likes on Twitter. 

The two groups have clashed throughout the platform, exchanging a wide variety of insults, with left leaning users focusing on Musk himself and right leaning users focusing on the left leaning users in general. 

As for Musk himself, he continues to be cryptic as to what his new policies regarding speech on Twitter are. He has consistently mentioned throughout the process of buying Twitter wanting to  decrease the censorship he believes Twitter is known for. 

Despite being cryptic, Musk does seem to lean a bit more to the right. On his official Twitter page, he consistently posts memes with right leaning figures involved and has critiqued Twitter’s policies as being too left leaning in the past. However, he also assured all Twitter users in a tweet that he would allow for his critics to remain on Twitter, because he believes that’s necessary for free speech. 

“I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk Tweeted.

Elon Musk buying Twitter may be a defining moment in the development of social media, as both sides of the U.S. political spectrum clash over Musk’s ownership. In essence, left leaning users take a huge issue with how Musk’s idea of free speech, which they see as letting racism and bigotry fester on the site without punishment. As for more right leaning users, they see it as an opportunity to use Twitter more effectively, without the platform suppressing what they can Tweet.

Twitter users on the left tend to be angrier over Musk’s ownership, citing a variety of issues with the new policy of free speech as well as Musk’s ability to simply buy out the platform. In regards to Musk buying the platform, these users express anger over the fact that Musk, who is the richest person in the world, according to investopedia, could be doing more to help people across the world rather than buying Twitter. 

This anger is bolstered by the fear that Twitter, which many of the left leaning users considered to be a safer place to express being a part of POC and LGBTQ communities, will be filled with alt-right trolls harassing them. A fear that is warranted, as multiple posts on more conservitive subreddits and on 4chan itself discuss using the “free speech” musk will implement to harass the established left leaning base. The left leaning users have protested Musk’s ownership in multiple ways, including by posting a picture of Musk with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.

As for conservative users, Musk’s ownership to them represents a change to a more accepting, more lenient leadership. To conservatives, they have often felt suppressed in regards to what they could express on Twitter. Twitter, being the 15th largest social media platform, is often a necessary place for American politicians to create a larger base. With former U.S. President Donald Trump using the platform to give his opinion on different events and calling out his opponents in the 2016 election and throughout his presidency, the platform has grown to become more important to aspiring politicians. However, the platform has consistently banned consrvitive figures with even Trump himself being removed from the platform. This has caused this feeling of being suppressed within right leaning users. 

Due to the suppression conservatives feel they have faced, many of them are now fully supporting Musk, believing that he might create an environment for them to post freely on Twitter. These calls of support, which include elected individuals like Texas Representative Lance Gooden, have garnered thousands of likes on Twitter. 

The two groups have clashed throughout the platform, exchanging a wide variety of insults, with left leaning users focusing on Musk himself and right leaning users focusing on the left leaning users in general. 

As for Musk himself, he continues to be cryptic as to what his new policies regarding speech on Twitter are. He has consistently mentioned throughout the process of buying Twitter wanting to  decrease the censorship he believes Twitter is known for. 

Despite being cryptic, Musk does seem to lean a bit more to the right. On his official Twitter page, he consistently posts memes with right leaning figures involved and has critiqued Twitter’s policies as being too left leaning in the past. However, he also assured all Twitter users in a tweet that he would allow for his critics to remain on Twitter, because he believes that’s necessary for free speech. 

“I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk Tweeted.

Author’s Bio

Caleb Hurley enjoys the process of writing, with a keen interest in politics and how they affect the average American. He spends his time writing and working out.