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Speakers' Corner
April 7, 2022 657 replies
elon_musk_twitter_16x9.jpg
Image Credit Claire Pullen // Brendan Smialowski via Getty
Q1. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and the world's richest person, bought 9% of Twitter's shares to become its largest shareholder. The company subsequently named him to its board. What do you think of Musk's new status at Twitter?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+

I'm a regular Twitter user, I like Musk's newly enhanced status

15%
14%
17%
24%
13%
7%
12%
17%
14%
17%

Regular user, don't like it

19%
13%
25%
0%
11%
38%
11%
31%
16%
17%

Not a regular user, like it

28%
40%
17%
49%
37%
7%
30%
28%
28%
24%

Not a regular, don't like it

17%
18%
16%
12%
16%
23%
17%
17%
19%
19%

Don't know

6%
3%
8%
5%
5%
6%
4%
0%
7%
10%

Don't care

13%
11%
17%
8%
16%
18%
23%
4%
14%
14%
Q2. Below are four changes some predict will happen at Twitter now that Musk is the largest shareholder. Which would you like to see occur? (Please check four, one from each pair)
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Group A

Trump's account reinstated — yes

45%
50%
40%
87%
53%
6%
45%
42%
44%
55%

Trump's account reinstated — no

49%
45%
52%
9%
37%
87%
47%
57%
49%
38%
Group B

Twitter algorithm opened (make transparent what determines user's feeds) — yes

71%
77%
65%
76%
74%
66%
81%
79%
55%
79%

Twitter algorithm opened — no

14%
13%
15%
3%
16%
23%
6%
17%
19%
10%
Group C

Less content moderation — yes

47%
57%
38%
75%
63%
20%
62%
46%
38%
50%

Less content moderation — no

38%
32%
44%
10%
26%
67%
26%
50%
40%
36%
Group D

Users can edit tweets after posting — yes

60%
57%
61%
65%
63%
56%
49%
71%
55%
69%

Users can edit tweets after posting — no

21%
26%
17%
15%
21%
27%
32%
21%
23%
7%

Not a regular Twitter user/no opinion

8%
8%
8%
9%
11%
8%
6%
4%
10%
12%

None of these

1%
1%
1%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
1%
2%

Don't care

4%
5%
3%
1%
5%
6%
6%
4%
1%
2%
Q3. On March 25 Musk tweeted "Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?"

Which parts of Musk's tweet do you agree with, if any? (Please choose three, one from each pair)
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Group A

Twitter is de facto public town square — agree

55%
64%
47%
68%
63%
43%
51%
73%
41%
67%

Twitter is de facto public town square — disagree

27%
23%
28%
11%
26%
42%
28%
17%
36%
21%
Group B

Twitter fails to adhere to free speech — agree

53%
60%
47%
82%
68%
25%
56%
54%
47%
60%

Twitter fails to adhere to free speech — disagree

33%
30%
34%
5%
26%
59%
23%
42%
33%
28%
Group C

If Twitter doesn't adhere to free speech it undermines democracy — agree

53%
56%
49%
77%
63%
30%
56%
56%
44%
56%

If Twitter doesn't adhere to free speech it undermines democracy — disagree

31%
32%
28%
8%
32%
52%
23%
35%
34%
26%

None of these

5%
5%
6%
3%
5%
8%
0%
8%
8%
5%

Don't care

6%
5%
7%
3%
5%
8%
9%
4%
5%
7%

Related Polls

The Medium is the Message, Sept 2021

47% said they use Twitter, 10% of whom said they would pay for content on the site
47% said they do not use Twitter

First and Three, Sept 2018

61% said a private platform should never be forced to allow anyone who wants to use it to do so
25% said Twitter has reached the size/reach that it should be beholden to the 1st Amendment

NB: The First Amendment does not apply to private companies. It limits the government's ability to prevent the speech of citizens, with certain exceptions such as when speech incites violence, or harms a protected class.

From the LA Times: Musk’s is one of Twitter’s most followed accounts. He tweets often to promote Tesla technology and SpaceX launches but also often creates controversy. Perhaps most infamous was a Musk tweet that implied a rescue diver was a pedophile after the man belittled Musk’s plan to rescue children stuck in a cave in Thailand with a miniature submarine. Musk is also currently involved in a legal dispute with the SEC related to a tweet in which he claimed he had funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share — which caused the share price to jump, but was untrue.

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