Relief, disappointment as Elon Musk abandons Twitter deal

Musk’s announcement on July 8 that he no longer wants to buy Twitter triggered celebration by advocacy groups that had launched a campaign to stop the wealthiest man in the world from going through with the purchase. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Elon Musk’s move to abandon his purchase of Twitter has been greeted with a mix of relief and disappointment across the political spectrum, with many criticising the Tesla founder but others applauding his “exposure” of the influential messaging platform.

The announcement of the deal valued at US$44bil (RM194.78bil) in late April sparked fears the platform would see a surge in abuse and disinformation after Musk – a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist – said he would largely let anyone say anything allowed by law on Twitter.