Ex-Twitter India head blames Elon Musk for 'adversely affecting' image of Ratan Tata, Amitabh Bachchan

Elon Musk recently removed thousands of blue ticks from ‘legacy’ accounts on Twitter, creating panic on the platform. Former Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari claimed that he was approached by several celebrities talking about their lack of control over their Twitter presence after the recent verification policy update.

In a letter to Elon Musk, Maheshwari stated that celebrities and creators like Ratan Tata, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, A.R. Rahman, Vir Das and Ram Charan, whose contributions have been vital in Twitter’s success in India were not consulted on the recent verification policy change. As per Maheshwari, because of this change in policy, the digital reputation of these personalities has been “adversely affected”.

Recent #TwitterBlueTick policy changes have led to many celebrities confide in me about their lack of control over their Twitter presence. Here is my 5-point recommendation for rebuilding trust and harnessing potential @twitter from India perspective. @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/fMa0JuQRFw

— Manish Maheshwari (@manishm) May 2, 2023

"Twitter's potential is immense, as it has carved a unique niche in the world of real-time news and unfiltered opinions. However, my heart ached when I learned that prominent creators and celebrities whose contributions have been vital to Twitter's success in India were not consulted on recent policy changes regarding verification. These icons, including Bollywood legend Shri Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan), eminent industrialist Mr. Ratan Tata (@RNTata2000), global actress Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra), Oscar-winning maestro A.R. Rahman (@arrahman), humourist Vir Das (@thevirdas), and acclaimed actor Ram Charan (@Always RamCharan) from the Oscar-winning film RRR, have all had their digital reputation and fan communities adversely affected," he stated.

He further added, “Although the Blue Tick verifications of top celebrities have been restored after a tremendous outcry, the damage inflicted on their trust in Twitter is far-reaching. Many of these celebrities had been personally invited to join the platform and were nurtured by my former team to ensure that Twitter could stand tall against competitors like Instagram and YouTube in India. However, recent events have led some of these influential figures to confide in me about their lack of control over their Twitter presence.”

He further recommended five points on how Twit Chief Elon Musk can still follow to guide the social media platform to have a great business model.  

Firstly, he recommended to rebuild trust with celebrities by involving them in discussions before implementing major policy changes that can affect them. Secondly, he recommended to support creators as they are the lifeblood of Twitter. Twitter should enhance tools and opportunities for distribution and monetization while preserving creative freedom.

Maheshwari further emphasized prioritizing attention over subscription cost. As per his statement, “Charging for user verification, which is essential for trust, should not be the primary monetization method when you already receive something far more valuable for free the audience's attention and the creator's craft.”

He suggested Elon Musk that he should expand Twitter to non-English speaking audience, like its rival Koo. Lastly, he recommended maintaining network effect lead and keep improving product experience and community building. He added, Twitter should keep “ensuring that newsmakers and journalists continue to break news first on Twitter”.

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