--- title: "Elon Musk Sets His Twitter Account to Private" description: "\"Something is wrong,\" Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday evening, in response to Twitter influencers' complaints about their virality numbers." date: "2023-02-01" modified: "2023-02-01" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-twitter-account-private" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "social media" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Sets His Twitter Account to Private !["Something is wrong," Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday evening, in response to Twitter influencers' complaints about their virality numbers.]() *\Image: Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty / Futurism\* ## Something is Wrong We know, we know: every day on Twitter since approximately [October 27, 2022]() has been strange. But today, things are somehow extra weird. Twitter users, notably the alt-right bunch, have been in a tizzy for the last 18 hours or so, claiming that the Elon Musk-owned Twitter app, for whatever reason, is refusing to let their content go viral unless they switch their accounts to private. "Okay, since everyone is trying this account locking technique to see if it improves engagement, I'll give it a whirl," tweeted conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro. "Let me know if you see my tweets again if they've been hidden over the past few weeks." "Ben I can't retweet you," responded Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, who all-around just seems more confused than anyone else. And Musk, as he's been making very clear, is also in the dark. "Something is wrong," he [tweeted]() Tuesday evening, in response to a complaint from alt-right talking head Libs of TikTok. But not to fret: Musk, seemingly in solidarity, decided to take his own account private. A brave move for both the owner of the app and the world's premier tweeter. He's still private now, and it's unclear what exactly needs to be fixed, if anything. Cheers. https://twitter.com/KnowNothingTV/status/1620706384487784449 ## Caking Sense There are a lot of factors at play here, the first being that "shadowbanning" and alleged free speech suppression, particularly of conservative voices, has been a major conservative talking point for years. Conservative "voices" on Twitter, a list including all of the names just mentioned, certainly play into that narrative. Musk does as well, in [his Twitter Files]() and in his far-right flirtations. Whether these folks' content is actually being suppressed, just talking about it is surely getting them some numbers. (Jury's still out on if Twitter really is glitching, but considering that teams have been [stretched razor-thin]() for months now, it wouldn't be shocking.) Also, shadowbans [*do* exist](). But once again, Musk owns Twitter, and if something's broken, it's his job to fix it. He can also apparently see whose accounts have been shadowbanned and why, [as confirmed]() by *Fox* host and Twitter HQ guest visitor Dave Rubin just a few days ago. Anyway. We'll leave these folks to their [tiramisu](). **More on Twitter bans:** [*Free Speech Champion Elon Musk Is Mass Suspending Twitter Accounts of Journalists Who Criticized Him*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()