United States: The new CEO of social media firm Twitter, Ms. Linda Yaccarino, has outlined her plans for “Twitter 2.0” after taking over from Mr. Elon Musk a week ago.
The new CEO says the company is “on a mission to become the world’s most accurate real-time information source.” Since Mr. Musk bought Twitter last year, it has faced criticism over its approach to tackling disinformation. In May, the company lost its head of trust and safety and pulled out of the EU’s disinformation code.
In a series of tweets that were also emailed to employees, Ms. Yaccarino echoed Mr. Musk’s goal that Twitter must transform the “global town square.” Ms. Yaccarino noted that this would help “drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us.”
After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion last year, Mr. Elon Musk faced pressure to find a new leader for the company, allowing him to focus on his other ventures, such as Tesla and SpaceX.
On May 12, Mr. Musk, who had recently regained his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, announced that Ms. Linda Yaccarino would become the CEO of Twitter in six weeks. However, Ms. Yaccarino assumed the role earlier than anticipated, following the departure of the company’s head of trust and safety.
Ms. Yaccarino is recognised for successfully guiding NBCUniversal, a major media conglomerate, through industry disruptions caused by evolving technology. During her tenure, she revitalised the company’s advertising sales division and spearheaded the launch of Peacock, a streaming platform supported by advertisements, in 2020. Currently, Ms. Yaccarino oversees Twitter’s business operations, while Mr. Musk remains the executive chairman and chief technology officer of the company.