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Twitter users vote for Elon Musk's exit as CEO

December 19, 2022

Millions of Twitter users have told Elon Musk he should step down as the platform's boss in a poll he launched himself. Shares in his electric-car maker Tesla rose at the news.

https://p.dw.com/p/4L9xK
Elon Musk
Elon Musk asked Twitter users whether he should step down as head of the social media giantImage: Susan Walsh/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Billionaire Twitter CEO Elon Musk has received a clear indication from Twitter users that the majority of them would like to see him step down from the job after weeks of controversy surrounding the social media platform.

About 57.5% of the 17.5 million people who took part in a poll he himself instigated with the question, "Should I step down as head of Twitter?" answered in the affirmative.

Musk promised to honor the result of the poll. But he has not commented after the poll closed.

Following news of the poll result, shares in his electric-car maker Tesla jumped 5.0% in premarket trading, after slumping by a third since Musk took over the social media giant in October.

What has been happening at Twitter?

Since Musk took control after a $44 billion takeover, mainly by selling shares in Tesla, the platform has been mired in a number of controversies revolving around differing interpretations of what "free speech" should mean.

Musk has fired many of Twitter's staff, with human content moderation teams largely axed in favor of automated processes. 

Musk, who claims to be a "free-speech absolutist," has reinstated the account of former US President Donald Trump and said Twitter would end its previous policy of prohibiting COVID-19 misinformation.

He also came under fire from officials in France, Germany , Britain the European Union and United Nations after Twitter last week froze the accounts of several journalists, including reporters from CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Most of the accounts were restored early on Saturday morning.

Among those who were suspended were journalists who had tweeted about Twitter shutting down an account that tracked flights of Musk's private jet. 

Twitter did not say why the accounts were suspended, but Musk accused some journalists of sharing his whereabouts. Some of those whom Twitter suspended said they had posted nothing of that nature.

Musk has also tried to charge for previously free services.

tj/fb (AFP, Reuters)