Will Twitter ever be the same since Elon Musk’s takeover? And what impact will his changes have on users, free speech and (dis)information?     

Twitter is one of the most influential speech platforms in the world – as of 2022, it had approximately 450million monthly active users. But its takeover by Elon Musk has sparked concerns about social media regulation and Twitter’s ability to remain a ‘proxy for public opinion’. 

To explore this topic, Sarah is joined by Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University. 

• Why does Twitter matter? [00:48]
• Elon rewinds content regulation [06:54]
• Twitter’s political clout [10:16]
• Make the internet democratic again [11:28]
• What is Mastodon? [15:29]
• Can we ever really trust the internet? [17:47]

Learn more

• Elon Musk, Twitter and the Declaration of the Future of the Internet impact

Connect with our guests

Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University.

Tama Leaver’s research interests include children’s data, privacy and rights in an online world, visual social media, the activity and regulation of big social media companies, and the social, casual and mobile gaming landscape.

He is the President of the Association of Internet Researchers, a regular media commentator and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

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Transcript

Read the transcript. 

Team

Host: Sarah Taillier

Content creator: Zoe Taylor
Producer & Recordist: Emilia Jolakoska

First Nations Acknowledgement

Curtin University acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which Curtin Perth is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation, and on Curtin Kalgoorlie, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields; and the First Nations peoples on all Curtin locations.

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Curtin University supports academic freedom of speech. The views expressed in The Future Of podcast may not reflect those of Curtin University.