As the tech world turns, we witness Twitter boss Elon Musk sorting out a peculiar shadow ban and taking a swipe at Meta Platforms chief Mark Zuckerberg. While these may seem like disparate incidents, they highlight the challenging landscape of managing a social media giant facing stiff competition.
The @LibsOfTikTok Twitter account, helmed by author-activist Chaya Raichik, found itself in the tangle of a shadow ban recently, a scenario where search functionality for the account was significantly inhibited. The suspected cause? An unusual “nudity detection mechanism,” or as Musk coined it, a “d**k pic bot.”
Your account was labeled as NSFW by our dick pic bot on 6/26, because you posted media with nudity from Pride parades.
Corrective action is to label the individual posts as NSFW, rather than the whole account. Should be fixed now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2023
In a direct exchange with Raichik, Musk explained, “Your account was labeled as NSFW by our d**k pic bot on 6/26 because you posted media with nudity from Pride parades.” The issue, according to Musk, was a mislabeling of the entire account as “not safe for work” (NSFW), rather than appropriately tagging individual posts.
Musk assured Raichik and Twitter users that the issue had been rectified by demonstrating a practical problem-solving approach. “Corrective action is to label the individual posts as NSFW rather than the whole account. Should be fixed now,” he said. Raichik, relieved and seemingly amused by the situation, thanked Musk for the swift resolution.
Beyond this hiccup was a broader concern about Twitter’s mechanism for detecting inappropriate content, as multiple Pride parades in June featured scantily-clad or unclothed individuals. It’s a fine line between upholding freedom of expression and maintaining decorum.
On another front, Musk’s rivalry with Mark Zuckerberg took a new turn with the launch of Meta’s new platform, Threads. Following the launch, Musk posted a tweet that succinctly stated: “Zuck is a cuck.” This contentious exchange comes in light of Musk’s accusations that Meta is attempting to clone Twitter’s platform, even going so far as hiring ex-Twitter staff.
Zuck is a cuck
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2023
Within just a day of its launch, Threads acquired an impressive 30 million users, posing a significant challenge to Twitter. It has seen its fair share of turmoil since Musk took over last October. The platform has grappled with mass firings, reworking critical features like the blue-check verification, and ongoing policy changes. Threads’ success could siphon off more Twitter users if the platform’s disarray continues.
Nevertheless, Musk stood his ground, threatening legal action against Meta Platforms. “Competition is fine, cheating is not,” he tweeted. Musk’s lawyer also sent a letter to Zuckerberg, accusing Meta of using Twitter’s trade secrets to create Threads. Despite this, a Meta spokesperson denied that anyone on the Threads engineering team was a former Twitter employee.
As the online world watches the unfolding drama, Musk appears committed to dealing with the challenges, whether it’s fixing an ill-conceived bot on Twitter or taking on rival Zuckerberg. This mix of transparency and tenacity continues to make Musk a compelling figure in the tech world. It remains to be seen how these intriguing narratives will shape the future of social media under Musk’s influence.
