Musk asks Twitter users if he should step down as CEO
3 Min Read
Elon Musk puts the future of his career at Twitter in the hands of the people.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk (AP).
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has launched a Twitter poll asking users if he should resign from his Chief position at Twitter. "Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll," Musk tweeted on Sunday.
By midnight, over 2.5 million people participated in the poll, with more than 57% being in favor of Musk’s resignation.
Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
In response to the early results, Musk said in another tweet "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it."
Elon Musk finalized the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in late October, a US company founded in 2006 with its headquarters located in San Francisco, California.
Musk made changes to the company's day-to-day operations, including the termination of Twitter executives who were responsible for the platform's privacy, cybersecurity and censorship, as well as about two-thirds of Twitter's employees.
He announced that a special council "with widely diverse viewpoints" would be set up to moderate the platform.
Before posting the Sunday poll, Musk tweeted that, from now on, "there will be a vote for major policy changes" on the social media platform.
Earlier in the day, Twitter announced a new policy, which bans users from linking to their accounts on other platforms. There are speculations that suggest Musk took the decision to post the poll after receiving significant criticism from Twitter users as the policy was announced.
This comes after a previous poll conducted by Musk to determine whether he should restore the Twitter accounts of suspended journalists. Almost 59% of the 3.69 million people who voted said he should restore the accounts right away.
Some of the suspended accounts appeared to be reactivated, including that of former Vox journalist Aaron Rupar, who began tweeting again. "I was pretty bummed about getting suspended initially but quickly realized it'd be fine because I'm blessed to have an amazing online community," Rupar tweeted, thanking people for their support.
The people have spoken.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022
Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now. https://t.co/MFdXbEQFCe
He announced on December 17 that he would reinstate the Twitter accounts of several journalists who had been suspended after he accused them of putting his family in danger.
After suspending the accounts of more than a half-dozen prominent journalists from the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post, he drew ire and warnings from the EU and the UN. "The people have spoken. Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now," the Twitter owner tweeted.
