SpaceX’s CEO has lost the Rocket Man: Sir Elton John has announced his departure from Twitter, suggesting that new owner Elon Musk’s policies will “allow misinformation to flourish.”
“All my life I’ve tried to use music to bring people together,” John wrote in a social media statement. “Yet it saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world. I’ve decided to no longer use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked.”
Musk has been trying increase revenue through a subscription verification plan that led to problems with impersonations before getting pulled. The relaunch, expected soon, could include as many as three different colors of checkmarks: blue for subscribers, grey for government officials, and gold for advertisers. Legacy checkmarks, many of which include journalists, are expected to disappear without a subscription. The initial subscriber plan alienated advertisers, though according to Musk, some big buyers have started to resume their spending.
Not that Sir Elton cares. He’s winding down his touring career with the Australian and New Zealand leg of the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, and in November he performed what is expected to be his last show ever in North America. In June of 2023 he’ll headline the Glastonbury Festival, which has been announced as his final performance in the UK. Tickets to his remaining concerts are available here.
All my life I’ve tried to use music to bring people together. Yet it saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world.
I’ve decided to no longer use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked.— Elton John (@eltonofficial) December 9, 2022