Scary Times For Twitter With Elon Musk As It’s Owner

Drastic Changes Cause Scary Times for Twitter

Significant changes have happened at Twitter, owned by billionaire Elon Musk for only one week. The firing of 9% of the staff has sparked a lawsuit from employees, who blame an offensive tweet by Musk for putting them in the spotlight. Companies that change drastically once new management or ownership has stepped in typically flounder for a long time. These are indeed scary times for Twitter.

Free Press’s CEO Jessica González, a Tribune Publishing Company board member. She is also on the board of the Center For Public Integrity. González called these firings “a breaking of trust” that undermines the company’s commitment to election-integrity efforts. She said Elon Musk was dismantling Twitter’s investments in fact-checking, content management, and policy, which could allow more disinformation to spread right before the election.

“Twitter was already a hellscape before Musk took over. His actions in the past week will only worsen,” González said.

Twitter’s business with other companies affected.

Several high-profile brands, particularly those in the technology sector, have suspended their advertising on Twitter in response to what it says is hateful conduct going unchecked by CEO Elon Musk. Most users of Twitter, 54 percent of whom are aged 18 to 29, come from outside the U.S.

Several employees sued Elon Musk for the lack of notice they would be given for their termination. A few Twitter employees filed a class action lawsuit against the company.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification act, or WARN, requires employers to give a 60-day notice before conducting significant layoffs. The case alleges (that) Twitter is letting go of employees without adequate notice, violating California and federal employment law.

The company has laid off several staff members and is asking all employees to stay at home until the company emails them to let them know the status of their jobs.

Employees posted about getting laid off on Twitter under the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWorked. They expressed gratitude to their team and managers, appreciation for the company culture, and worry about colleagues who may lose health insurance or work visas.

Others chimed in, calling Twitter employees and role anthropologists working for a “government stooge,” a “cult” or the “Nazi party.”

Musk had long been complaining about the size of Twitter’s workforce, which he saw as bloated. He complained that the company had grown too large for its good, even if it meant tearing at the fabric of its culture.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO abruptly dismissed dozens of Twitter executive employees.