Elon Musk’s TikTok Takeover Pros and Cons: A Cautionary Tale That Thankfully Remains “fiction”
It has been a little over two years since Elon Musk launched his ambitious X-periment. Back in 2022, he bought what we all knew as Twitter and gave it a massive overhaul with a new name, X. The billionaire entrepreneur introduced a string of updates and reforms to the platform that, at first, sounded like exciting steps toward creating a unified digital ecosystem. But over time, many users have found themselves rethinking their relationship with the platform. And now, the polarizing tech mogul is reportedly eyeing TikTok as his next big takeover.
Though TikTok has dismissed these rumors as “pure fiction,” it is still worth considering the potential results of such a colossal acquisition—both the good and the bad—by looking at how his last takeover played out so far.
How Elon Musk can make TikTok a better space?
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When Elon Musk took over X, he made it very clear that one of his main goals was to make the platform simpler and more user-friendly. He rebranded the whole platform, tweaked the algorithm to cut down on negativity, and focused on promoting content that is fun, entertaining, and more informative. If Musk were to take control of TikTok, these ideas might help address one of TikTok’s biggest criticisms— how it sometimes pushes harmful or unhealthy content, especially for teens.
Musk has been very vocal about his fight against spam and bots as well. He has made it a priority to authenticate real users and get rid of fake accounts. Musk is also willing to take a hard line on hateful content. He is known for banning accounts that are reported for spreading hate, even if it means beefing with people he knows personally. On top of that, he has added features like encrypted direct messaging and secure video and voice calls to make the platform feel safer. Of course, not everyone agrees that these changes have worked.
Some critics even believe that these changes have actually made X less safe. Musk has often been called out for being inconsistent in how he runs X, and that is something users might want to keep in mind if he ever takes over TikTok.
Why Elon Musk as a TikTok CEO can be a problem?
Elon Musk has always said that he wants X to be a space where people can enjoy free speech. But his actions have not always matched his words. There have been cases where critics of Musk have been silenced, and left-leaning journalists and commentators were suspended from X without any explanation. Musk claimed these suspensions were part of a spam cleanup, but many people were not convinced.
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If Musk were to run TikTok the same way, it could raise serious concerns. TikTok has become an important space for people to share their opinions and be heard. Any moves to restrict that freedom, whether intentional or not, could upset a lot of users. Musk often promotes himself as a supporter of open debate, but at the same time, he has been accused of trying to shut down research and criticism that might damage his image or businesses. That said, it is up to users to decide what they want, but for now, Elon Musk is not taking over TikTok.
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What do you think about Elon Musk's rumored TikTok takeover? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui
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