Former Twitter CEO offers 5 tips to Musk, asks to 'Rebuild trust with celebs'

In order to restore confidence and maximize Twitter's potential from an Indian perspective, former Twitter Chief Executive Officer Manish Maheshwari issued a five-point recommendation in a long letter addressed to Twitter’s CEO, Elon Musk. Maheshwari claimed in his letter that, as the former CEO of Twitter India, he had the privilege of witnessing the transformative effects of social media on people and communities.

He asserted that Twitter's new verification policy had a negative impact on the digital reputation of various Indian public figures and celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Ratan Tata, Priyanka Chopra, A.R. Rahman, Ram Charan, and Vir Das. According to Maheshwari, Twitter's future success depends on regaining celebrity trust, empowering artists, prioritizing attention over membership prices, participating in the development of Digital India, and preserving the network lead.

"I write to you today with profound concern and a genuine desire to help, as I see confusion surrounding Twitter's verification policy and financial stability diminishing the platform's potential. Please allow me to share my insights on how Twitter can not only continue to flourish but also create meaningful value for users and creators worldwide."

He observed that Twitter's potential is immense, as it has carved a unique niche in the world of real-time news. "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."

Despite the fact that celebrities' Blue Tick verifications were reinstated in response to a huge uproar, Maheshwari wrote that the harm done to their trust in Twitter was extensive.

In order to keep up with Instagram and YouTube in India, he said that many of these celebrities were individually invited to join the site and fostered by his former team.

However, recent events have led some of these influential figures to confide in me about their lack of control over their Twitter presence. My concern is genuine, and my intent is pure. I wish for Twitter to succeed and thrive, just as you do," he said, listing his five recommendations.

He advised that before enacting significant policy changes that may have an impact on celebrities, trust should be rebuilt with them through their participation in conversations. Second, he advocated helping creators because they are Twitter's backbone. While retaining creative freedom, Twitter should improve its distribution and revenue tools and chances.

The new Twitter policy recently removed thousands of blue ticks from ‘legacy’ accounts on Twitter, creating panic on the platform.