Twitter says 'fluctuations in follower counts' are not automated
Many conservative users are attributing the rapidly changing follower counts to Musk's purchase of the platform
John Tamny says rather than Elon Musk being a victim, he made the choice to buy Twitter on 'Kennedy.'
Republicans' surge in followers on Twitter – parallel with a noticeable drop in many Democrats' follower counts – are not an automated phenomenon.
Twitter users noticed Tuesday the surprising spike and notable decrease of followers for high-profile accounts. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saw a spike of nearly 100,000 followers following the announcement Elon Musk would be purchasing Twitter. Former President Barack Obama lost approximately 300,000.
"We've been looking into recent fluctuations in follower counts," Twitter told MSNBC in a statement. "While we continue to take action on accounts that violate our spam policy which can affect follower counts, these fluctuations appear to largely be a result of an increase in new account creation and deactivation."
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"We'll continue looking into these follower count fluctuations and keep you updated," Twitter added.
Many conservative users are attributing the rapidly changing follower counts to Musk's purchase of the platform.
Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. Musk will buy Twitter for $44 billion. ( Getty Images / Getty Images)
Musk, who has frequently criticized Twitter for its abundant censorship, recently struck a deal to buy the platform for roughly $44 billion as he says he intends to use it to promote free speech.
"Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," Musk tweeted shortly after Twitter accepted Musk’s sizable offer.
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Congressional Democrats sounded the alarm this week after Musk struck a deal to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion and take the social media company private.
Among the lawmakers' chief concerns was that Musk could allow former President Donald Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter in January 2021 after spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, back onto the platform.