Elon Musk's foray into the social media space with Twitter, which has since been rebranded as X, has been characterized by a number of radical modifications that have left users and professionals in the field wondering what this means. Following Twitter's acquisition in October 2022, Musk assumed the position of CEO and oversaw a dramatic overhaul of the platform until his resignation in June 2023, at which point Linda Yaccarino assumed leadership. Significant changes were implemented by Twitter under Musk's direction, including content control changes that sparked controversy. Several prohibited accounts were restored by the network, including former US President Donald Trump's. Musk's strategy involved cutting almost 80% of the staff, shutting down a data centre, and substituting the community-driven Community Notes, formerly known as Birdwatch, for the content moderation team.

The introduction of paid verification checkmarks via X Premium previously Twitter Blue was one notable modification. Redesigning Twitter's verification process was the goal of the action, which was a component of Musk's larger plan to rebrand the platform. Musk's choices were not without criticism, though. Prior to Musk's takeover, concerns regarding content moderation, censorship, and government interference were highlighted by the release of the Twitter Files, which was started by previous CEO Jack Dorsey. As worries grew, Twitter took interim action, limiting unregistered users' ability to access Tweets, a move that Musk himself called a "temporary emergency measure."

Musk was widely criticized for the platform's continued presence of hate speech, false information, and child pornography in spite of these attempts. Significant corporations like Apple and Disney halted their advertising campaigns as a result of his personal views on white nationalism and racial pride, which stoked even more criticism.

After Musk's acquisition, Twitter/X had a 16% drop in active user engagement one year later, and the company's projected worth fell by 55%—a significant amount below the $44 billion purchase price. An even more dire picture was presented by external estimates, one of which was provided by Fidelity and indicated a 65% decline to about $19 billion.

The future of X is unknown as long-standing arguments over user engagement, content filtering, and the platform's overall social impact remain at the centre of conversations as the social media environment changes under Musk's leadership.

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