We probably don’t even need to explain where we’re going with this explanatory post — but we will anyway. Mark Zuckerberg has been one of the biggest and most controversial names in big tech for years. So has Elon Musk, who we’re sure you all know. The difference between the two has always been that one runs a social media empire, while the other runs multiple non-social media enterprises.
But with Musk’s purchase of Twitter, all that has changed. Should it change whether or not you utilize the platform to disseminate your services? Ultimately, that’s up to you. Here’s what you need to know.
Musk purchased Twitter in order to defend certain tweets that were removed for bullying or false information. Musk believes in an absolute Constitutional right to free speech, and was against these removals.
When Musk acquired the social media platform, one of his first comments dove into a malicious and unfounded conspiracy theory following the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He suggested the would-be attacker was actually a former lover. This comment — and those like it — highlight the problems with an absolute right to free speech because they knowingly put people in danger.
There are two schools of thought. Do we abandon the platform as a means of protest? Or do we continue to use the platform to fight fire with fire?
Those controversies — and potential solutions — might not matter to your law firm or its managing partners. What should matter, though, is what matters to your clients. And only you can know the answer for sure based on your own internal numbers and targeted demographics.
Do your clients often use Twitter to contact you? Is your messaging through Twitter critical to your firm’s success? If the answer to these questions is “yes” then perhaps you should stay. But if you don’t need the platform to bolster billable hours — then it might be time to say goodbye to these controversies for good.