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Even before Elon Musk completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, there was speculation and concerns about how the SpaceX and Tesla CEO would transform the social network.
Musk, who took over Twitter following months of wrangling on October 27, has often expressed his desire to turn the platform into a "digital town square" where free speech and content are not strictly moderated.
Musk is also reportedly prepared to scrap Twitter's lifetime ban policy, potentially paving the way for extremists, conspiracy theorists, and former president Donald Trump to be allowed back on the social network.
This speculation about changes to Twitter's policies resulted in apprehension that Twitter will ultimately start to resemble other right-wing and far-right "free speech" social media sites such as Gab or Parler, where hate speech and misinformation run rampant.
Georgia GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had her personal Twitter account suspended for repeated COVID-19 misinformation violations, was one of those who celebrated Musk's takeover, tweeting "FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!!" on October 27, before adding "We are winning."
It appears that others were excited by the prospect of a Musk Twitter takeover, and what people like Greene could potentially be allowed to post on the app.
According to Newsweek analysis, using data from Social Blade, which tracks social media statistics, Greene was one of a number of Republican figures who saw a major increase in her Twitter followers the day after Musk's Twitter takeover.
On October 27, Greene gained 1,995 new followers on Twitter. By October 28, after Musk's takeover had been confirmed, the MAGA congresswoman had 41,520 new followers, with a further 24,287 arriving the day after.
Similar GOP figures and Trump allies also saw major increases in their Twitter following after Musk's takeover.
One of the biggest increases in Twitter followers was seen by Donald Trump Jr., the former president's eldest son who frequently tweets memes and insults attacking Democrat figures.
The day after Musk's takeover, Trump Jr. gained more than 76,000 new followers, compared to 3,543 the day before. On October 29, Trump Jr. gained another 49,600 followers, with 39,625 following him on October 30 and a further 32,846 on October 31.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who alongside Trump, is considered a potential frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, also saw a significant increase in his Twitter following.
On October 27, DeSantis gained 3,770 new followers. After Musk's takeover was confirmed, he gained 64,900 on October 28, with more than 83,000 following him over the next three days.
A number of other elected GOP lawmakers also saw their follower count jump after Musk's takeover.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz was followed by 43,192 people on October 28, with 22,188 following the next day. This is compared to the 1,676 new followers he gained on October 27 before the takeover was complete.
Far-right Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado also saw her new followers jump from 1,848 on October 27 to 33,897 the following day.
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who has formed an alliance with Greene and Boebert within the GOP, saw 1,009 new followers on Thursday, October 27 with 22,444 new followers the next day and a further 17,686 arriving on October 30.
Kari Lake, the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for governor in Arizona, also saw her followers increase significantly. On the day of Musk's takeover, she gained 1,618 new followers. The following day after the takeover was complete, she saw her follower count jump by 33,204 to a total of 437,058.
According to a report from The Economist, the same cannot be said for the Democrats' Twitter follower count. According to the magazine's analysis, Democratic House and Senate representatives lost 420,000 followers between October 27 and 30, an average of 1,600 each.
The New York Times also reported high profile Democratic figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama all lost thousands of followers the day after Musk's takeover, prompting speculation that left-leaning Twitter users may have left the platform in protest of Musk's ownership.
In a statement, the Stop the Deal coalition group, consisting of organizations such as the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Accountable Tech, and the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, warned that Musk will turn Twitter into "even more hate-filled cesspool, leading to irreparable real-world harm."
"Musk's plans will leave the platform more vulnerable to security threats, rampant disinformation, and extremism just ahead of the midterm elections," the group added. "Elon Musk has a thirst for chaos and utter disregard for anyone other than himself and should not own Twitter."
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more