'Goodbye Twitter' British Superstar Elton John Also Leaves

"Unchecked false information is rampant, I will no longer use it"
Musk comments directly, "I love your music. Please come back"

On the 9th (local time), British pop star Elton John announced his withdrawal from Twitter. Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Elton John (75), the world-renowned pop star from the UK, announced that he will no longer use his Twitter account, which has 1,186,000 followers.

On the 9th (local time), John posted directly on his Twitter account explaining his reason for leaving. He said, "I have spent my life trying to use music to bring people together. But watching how misinformation divides our world makes me sad."

He continued, "I have decided to no longer use Twitter because its recent policy changes allow unchecked false information to flood the platform."

John did not specify which particular policy changes at Twitter caused his dissatisfaction.

In response, Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter, commented on Elton John's departure announcement and asked a question. Musk said to John, "I love your music. I hope you come back. Is there any specific misinformation you are concerned about?"

Elton John is a pop singer, songwriter, and social activist who debuted in 1962 and has been actively performing ever since. He has numerous hits including "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," the ending title song of the movie The Lion King, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," and "Your Song." He also composed music for musicals such as Aida and Billy Elliot.

Since Musk's acquisition of Twitter, many celebrities have been leaving the platform one after another. Supermodel Gigi Hadid, famous TV writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, and singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles have already left Twitter.

Tony Brighton, a Grammy Award winner who had 2 million Twitter followers, bid farewell to Twitter while strongly criticizing "Musk's Twitter." He said, "'Freedom of expression' hides shock and disgust behind it," and added, "Twitter is no longer a safe space for me and my children."

Since Musk took over Twitter, the platform has faced continuous turmoil including massive layoffs, the restoration of former U.S. President Donald Trump's account, issues with impersonation accounts of celebrities, and the introduction of paid account verification. However, Musk remains stubbornly committed to changing Twitter in his own way.

Musk announced plans to delete up to 1.5 billion inactive accounts, stating that these inactive accounts block the use of 'usernames' by active subscribers.

He said, "Accounts with no tweets or login records for several years will be clearly deleted." He also announced that a feature to check whether a subscriber's account is subject to a 'shadow ban' will be introduced soon.

A shadow ban refers to a social networking service (SNS) provider restricting some service usage in a way that the account user does not realize. Some members of the U.S. right-wing have claimed they have been shadow banned online.

Musk said, "Twitter is working on a software update that will show your actual account status," adding, "You will be able to clearly know whether you have been shadow banned, why it happened if you were, and how to appeal it."