Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, has announced that he plans to change the logo of the social media platform from the iconic blue bird to an ‘X’. The announcement came on Sunday, July 23, 2023, in a series of tweets and a live audio chat on Twitter Spaces.
Musk said that he wants to rebrand Twitter as ‘X’, which is part of his vision to create an ‘everything app’ that would incorporate shopping, banking, and other services. He said that X.com, a domain name that he owns, now redirects to Twitter.com. He also said that an interim X logo will go live later on Sunday.
The X logo is a reference to Musk’s previous ventures and ambitions. In 1999, he founded X.com, an online financial services company that later merged with PayPal. In 2017, he bought back the domain name from PayPal for an undisclosed amount. He also owns SpaceX, a rocket company that aims to colonize Mars.
Musk’s decision to change the Twitter logo has sparked mixed reactions from users and experts. Some praised his bold move and expressed excitement for the new app, while others criticized his lack of consultation and respect for the Twitter brand and community. Some also questioned the legality and feasibility of his plan, as well as the potential impact on Twitter’s revenue and user base.
Twitter is one of the most popular and influential social media platforms in the world, with about 200 million daily active users. However, since Musk bought the company in October 2022, it has faced several challenges and controversies, such as technical glitches, user backlash, advertiser boycotts, and regulatory scrutiny. Musk has also made several changes to Twitter’s features and policies, such as introducing charges for some services, allowing banned accounts to return, and removing verification badges.
Musk has said that he wants to transform Twitter into a super app that would compete with platforms like WeChat in China and Meta’s Threads. He has also said that he wants to integrate Twitter with other services and products that he owns or invests in, such as Tesla, Neuralink, Starlink, OpenAI, and Dogecoin.
It is unclear how Musk will implement his plan to change the Twitter logo and brand, and what implications it will have for the future of the platform and its users. It is also unclear whether he will face any legal or regulatory hurdles or opposition from Twitter’s board of directors or shareholders. For now, users will have to wait and see what happens next with the bird app turned X app.