The use of the “n-word” has spike 500 percent on Twitter in the days after Elon Musk‘s purchase and takeover of the social media platform, something LeBron James calls “scary AF.”
Last week, the Washington Post revealed the staggering figure, which James criticized while adding “I hope he and his people take this very seriously.
“This Is Scary AF” LeBron James Tweets Of Spike In N-Word Use On Twitter Following Elon Musk’s Takeover
“I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns Twitter,” James tweeted. “But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech.”
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Musk has since responded to the controversy involving the proliferation of the racist slur on his newly-acquired company, and replied by referring James to a thread by Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of safety and integrity.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022
“Over the last 48 hours, we’ve seen a small number of accounts post a ton of Tweets that include slurs and other derogatory terms,” Roth tweeted on Saturday. “To give you a sense of scale: More than 50,000 Tweets repeatedly using a particular slur came from just 300 accounts.”
Roth went on to say that “nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic. We’ve taken action to ban the users involved in this trolling campaign — and are going to continue working to address this in the days to come to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone.”
Musk Responds To LeBron, Says Twitter Has Not Yet Changed Moderation Policies From When He took Over
Musk elaborated in a separate tweet that Twitter has not yet changed its moderation policies from when he took over last week, in an effort to deflect blame on the concerning spike in use of the racial slur on his platform.
The business magnate and Tesla CEO – boasting a net worth of over $229 billion by Forbes, added that he will be creating a panel to oversee decisions involving content moderation and whether banned accounts, like that of former President Donald Trump, will be allowed to return to the platform.
Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.
No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022
“Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints,” he tweeted on Friday. “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”
As previously reported by The Shade Room, just days into the new leadership of Musk, Twitter is already implementing major changes, with the “Chief Twit” already given employees his first ultimatum: meet the deadline for introducing paid verification or face termination.
Twitter Blue Subscription Service To Cost $20 Per Month, Includes Account Verification
Under the new directive, Twitter Blue – the company’s optional $4.99 a month subscription service that offers additional features – would be expanded to include verifications for users, The Verge reports.
Some news from inside Elon’s war room: Twitter is strongly considering making verified users pay $4.99 a month to keep their badges.
Many questions remain. Subscribe to read ➡️https://t.co/vXm4wLbhBm pic.twitter.com/8LkpKTHTuv
— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) October 30, 2022
The social media network is planning on charging $19.99 for the new Twitter Blue subscription service, with currently verified users having 90 days to subscribe or lose their blue checkmark.
On Sunday, the employees working on the project were told that if they don’t meet a November 7 deadline, they will be fired. That same day, Musk tweeted about revamping the entire verification process.
In the months leading up to his acquisition of Twitter, the Tesla CEO has made it clear that he planned on overhauling the verification process as well as how the platform handles bots.
