On with Kara Swisher

Why Twitter’s Former Safety Chief Left Elon Musk

Dec 1, 2022

Yoel Roth, the former head of trust and safety at Twitter, shares his unique insights on the chaotic landscape after Elon Musk's takeover. He discusses the complexities of content moderation and reflects on feeling 'used' by Musk before ultimately stepping away. The episode delves into the shifting dynamics of governance under Musk's leadership and the challenges of balancing free speech with user safety. Roth also explores the tensions between Twitter and Apple, highlighting the growing corporate influence in tech.

01:07:44

Episode guests

Yoel Roth

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Elon Musk: From Optimist to Pessimist

02:52

The Challenges of Trust in Safety on Social Media Platforms

01:11

Intro

2min

Power Plays: Twitter, Musk, and Apple

7min

Navigating Trust and Governance in Online Safety

5min

Leadership Dynamics at Twitter Under Musk

17min

Navigating Content Moderation Challenges

12min

Challenges and Risks of an Everything App on Twitter

4min

Navigating Twitter's Challenges Under New Leadership

14min

The Intersection of Technology, Safety, and Corporate Power

6min

Elon Musk's Twitter is a spectacle, and the drama and meaning of the last six months is perhaps best unpacked by Yoel Roth. The company’s former head of trust and safety survived the early flood of firings and resignations — in fact, he was ascendant, in the early days of this new Twitter, and he became the face Musk presented to advertisers. Kara asks Roth whether he felt “used” by Musk and why — having been embraced by Elon’s inner circle — he ultimately decided to abandon Elon.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema weigh in on Elon Musk’s seeming needling of Tim Cook, and they discuss whether Apple has too much power. Stay tuned until the end for Kara’s rant on this very topic.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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