NEW DELHI: Micro-blogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday made a startling announcement that all the direct messages (DMs) — usually encrypted and drafts — on its platform would now be made public.
This unexpected move prompted a widespread speculation, with users questioning whether it was a genuine attempt to promote transparency or merely an April Fool’s Day prank.
as we continue to celebrate transparency on this platform, all your DMs and drafts will be made public
— X (@X) April 1, 2024
The announcement raised concerns about potential breaches of privacy and security, especially regarding confidential conversations among users with differing perspectives that coincided with an announcement by Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who said, “he was excited to join Disney as their Chief DEI Officer. Can’t wait to work with Bob Iger & Kathleen Kennedy to make their content MORE woke. Even the linguinoi,” bringing peals of laughter as he corrected himself in the following tweets ,” Sorry guys, posted this from the wrong account” and a grin emoji.
Excited to join @Disney as their Chief DEI Officer.
Can’t wait to work with Bob Iger & Kathleen Kennedy to make their content MORE woke!
Even the linguini.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2024
Musk’s leanings are well known. However, several in the world say, that X, continues to openly promote woke culture and brazenly supports the same cohort of people who were powerful during pre-Musk regime.
Some speculated whether the timing of the announcement by X, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in India scheduled from April 19 to June 1, was behind this move as Prime Minster Narendra Modi remains eighth most followed person in the world on X or Twitter.
The announcement also left netizens puzzled, with many expressing skepticism about the true intentions behind the move.
Comments flooded the post, with some applauding it as a bold step towards equality and shared unity. Others, like Mirha Afridi, took a more sarcastic tone, suggesting that X may not always have users’ best interests at heart.