Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced on Monday that polls on the platform concerning major policy decisions will be limited to Twitter Blue subscribers.
This change came a day after a majority responded to a poll he published by saying that he should step down as the head of the social media giant. This result, he asserted, was likely the result of a deep-state “bot army” that flooded the survey with negative responses.
BREAKING: Elon Musk hints that yesterday’s poll about him stepping down as Twitter CEO was a trick to catch bots.
Stay tuned…
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 20, 2022
Musk earlier said that he will “abide by the results of this poll.”
But many, including influential internet businessman Kim Dotcom, warned the billionaire that he is “deep state enemy #1.” That meant the alleged “100k analysts with 30-40 accounts” were lined up to vote against him in his poll.
After the survey, a user suggested that “blue subscribers should be the only ones that can vote in policy-related polls.” The posting said that the paying customers “have skin in the game.”
Musk complimented the writer and announced that “Twitter will make that change.”
Twitter Blue subscribers pay $8 a month for the all-important blue checkmark that verifies their account. This was yet another change instituted by Musk that caused anger, particularly among leftists already outraged over his commitment to free speech.
Because of the likelihood of bots influencing the results — 57.5% of the 17.5 million users who voted wanted him to step down — it is highly unlikely Twitter will see a change in leadership.
He commented that “there is no successor” before adding that “no one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive.”
In another shift that sparked anger from some users, Musk announced Sunday evening that Twitter now bans links that connect to other social media platforms. Some critics also charge that his reliance on “unscientific” polls exposes the platform to fake accounts or bots manipulating results.
The major concern of the left, however, remains his commitment to free speech and vows to right the wrongs exposed in the Twitter Files. The deluge of criticism centers on one issue and one alone — that conservatives now have a voice in the virtual town square.
