Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, agreed to acquire Twitter for $44 billion on Monday, ending a narrative that included hostile takeover threats before handing him personal control of one of the most prominent social media sites on the globe.

Twitter notably functioned as a megaphone for former US President Donald Trump until the network banned him, and Musk, a self-described “free-speech absolutist,” has stated he wants to change the company’s overbearing content management.

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters