The new CEO of social media platform Twitter has been on the job for less than a month and has shared several threads on the platform about why she took the role and why Twitter will see growth in the future. A new thread and email to employees also highlight her aligned vision with Elon Musk.
What Happened: Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, a purchase made to help support free speech across social media and to better monetize the platform.
Earlier this year, Musk announced that former NBCUniversal advertising executive Linda Yaccarino would be the new CEO, so he could step down and put more focus on Tesla and SpaceX. Musk said at the time that he will serve as the executive chairman and chief technology officer of Twitter, overseeing product, software and system operations.
After her first week in the CEO role, Yaccarino shared some initial thoughts on Twitter.
“There’s absolutely nothing like Twitter, its people, all of you. And I’m here for ALL of it,” Yaccarino tweeted. “Twitter’s mission is crystal clear. Everyone’s invited – creators, presidential candidates, everyone –and there’s MORE to come.”
Using the hashtag #Partnerwithus, Yaccarino may have been signaling a call to potential advertisers or content creators. The new CEO asserted that no other platform "has this power."
On Monday, Yacarino shared a thread answering the question she said she keeps hearing, which is “why Twitter?”
“Elon knew space exploration and electric vehicles needed transformation, so he did it. It’s also becoming clear that the global town square needs transformation – to drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us.”
Yaccarino went on to discuss the role Twitter plays in the freedom of speech.
“You should have the freedom to speak your mind. We all should. Enter Twitter 2.0. Twitter is on a mission to become the world’s most accurate real-time information source and a global town square for communication.”
Yaccarino said Twitter provides the ability to create new partnerships, listen to new voices, and “reach across aisles” politically.
“The success of Twitter 2.0 is all of our responsibility. We need to think big. We need to transform. We need to do it all together.”
The new Twitter CEO appealed to all users of the platform to collaboratively shape the future of Twitter 2.0.
Related Link: Much Wow! New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino Follows Dogecoin On Twitter
Why It’s Important: A similarly worded email was also sent to Twitter employees, according to The Verge.
The comments from Yaccarino on freedom of speech and creating a “global town square” echo what Musk has stated for months in his attempts to transform Twitter.
Musk has unbanned several accounts on Twitter, including that of former President Donald Trump.
Musk has been a part of several Twitter Spaces with presidential candidates and has invited both Republican and Democrat candidates to utilize Twitter as a way to highlight their platforms, making Twitter a potentially important factor in the 2024 election.
When Yaccarino was announced as the new CEO, some questioned the move, given her past ties to the World Economic Forum and previous takes on COVID-19. Users on Twitter pointed to the WEF not believing in free speech.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yaccarino strongly advocated for the use of masks and vaccines, positions that found broad support on Twitter. Contrary viewpoints often resulted in account suspensions on the platform.
The comments from Yaccarino show that she is in line with Musk’s playbook laid out for Twitter. With Yaccarino’s experience in advertising sales at NBCUniversal, the hope is she can welcome back advertisers who may have left the platform in the past year.
Read Next: New Twitter CEO Says She's Excited To Transform The Platform
Photo: World Economic Forum on flickr and Shutterstock.
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