Funny games: How Musk’s Twitter acquisition stance could destabilize company

The volatility around Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter may potentially destabilize the social media giant. Faced with two possibilities, Twitter will either end up as the plaything of the madcap billionaire or end up mired in legal conflicts. In recent days talks have stalled with Musk demanding more clarity on the number of fake and spam accounts on the platform. Despite present CEO Parag Agarwal’s detailed analysis on the same, he has taken a dim view of proceedings responding to his explanations with a cheeky emoji.

According to industry experts, the impasse is a means to renegotiate the offer price. Irrespective, Musk has drawn the social media giant into an attritional battle which might have long-standing effects. With plans to remove content restrictions– in keeping with loosely moderated internet platforms- Twitter stands to be overrun by conservative and far-right commentators, sparking fears within the liberal intelligentsia. Speaking to CNN, Kirsten Marten, professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame laments:

“The places which are just cesspools of no content moderation have not taken off.”

However, for many within the company, an overhaul of the platform isn’t the most pressing concern. As per a CNN report, Musk plans to run a leaner organization, as well as replace much of the existing leadership. In fact, the fraught nature of the negotiations has resulted in Twitter implementing a partial hiring freeze as well as other cost-cutting measures. There have been movements among the top brass as well, with two senior executives- Kayvon Beykpour and Bruce Falck -leaving the company.

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Speaking to the CNN, Angelo Zino, a senior analyst at CFRA research warned of the tough times that lie ahead for the company:

“If I’m an employee right now, I’m probably throwing my resume around, looking around for new jobs.In a situation like this, you could potentially lose some great talent.”

While investor confidence dwindles as share prices tumble, Agarwal took to Twitter to allay fears of a crisis.