Musk’s proposals for Twitter could open space for fake news, says professor

Last Monday (25), billionaire Elon Musk announced the purchase of Twitter for about US$ 44 billion. In a statement released the same day, he said he wants to make the network “better than ever.” According to economist and professor at Insper Guilherme Fowler, the new measures proposed by the tycoon could open up space for fake news and hate speech on the platform.

In different statements, Musk stated that he wants a more “free” platform and with less moderation of publications. “Freedom of expression is the foundation of our democracy, and Twitter is the digital public square where issues vital to the future of humanity are discussed,” he said in a statement. Publication.

However, a lessening of the platform’s restrictions can lead to a greater distribution of disinformation on the social network.

“I see two possible paths: a better, more open network, in which opinions can actually be expressed in a twitter-positive way. But, also because of the movement of political actors yesterday reacting to this purchase, Twitter can become a space for fake news and a lot of hate speech. Which can alienate both users and advertisers, and then the financial equation can start to not close for Elon Musk,” Fowler said in an interview with CNN.

According to the expert, a possible increase in the circulation of disinformation on the platform could lead to a departure from Twitter users and advertisers. “The important point is to understand if these fake newswhich may eventually exist on Twitter from now on, will impact advertisers,” he said – noting that, despite Musk having said he doesn’t care about the platform’s profitability, he does not invest alone and will have to pay the loan made for the purchase .

Another promise of the tycoon to Twitter is the opening of the site’s code, which would reveal the processes of the network’s algorithm. For Fowler, algorithms are valuable assets of social media companies, articles “valuable, rare and difficult to imitate”.

“[O algoritmo] it is the foundation that sustains the competitive advantage of social networks. From the moment I open this code, deep down, I’m telling everyone what my secret is, my secret formula. If I induce my competitors to also open their code, the main competition variable ends up being impacted, and the dynamics between these companies and between social networks can be changed as well”, he said.