Twitter CEO Elon Musk has threatened to reassign National Public Radio's (NPR) Twitter account to another company, according to NPR. The media outlet stopped posting content on its 52 official Twitter feeds last month in protest against a Twitter designation that implied government involvement in its editorial content.
Musk suggested that he would reassign the network's main account under the @NPR handle to another organization or person if they do not start tweeting again. According to Twitter's policy, users should log in at least once every 30 days; otherwise, their accounts may be permanently removed due to prolonged inactivity.
The threat was made directly by Musk himself during an exchange with an NPR tech reporter. Social media expert Emily Bell called the situation "extraordinary," as it could alarm brands and other organizations that their handles might be transferred without consent.
Elon Musk, who is also known for being the billionaire owner of SpaceX and Tesla Inc., purchased a majority stake in Twitter earlier this year. His decision led many people within and outside of the industry questioning how his ownership would affect both platform policies and user experiences.
NPR decided to quit using its multiple accounts on Twitter after it was labeled as "state-affiliated media" by the platform alongside BBC, PBS, and other publicly funded organizations. Since then, Musk has withdrawn this label from these outlets but also removed it from government-backed agencies like China's Xinhua News Agency and Russia’s RT.
In response to concerns regarding his intentions towards NPR’s handle specifically, Elon Musk tweeted “National Pumpkin Radio” followed by two emojis as a light-hearted comment. However, when pressed further about whether he intended any serious action against NPR’s account(s), he cited consistency with current Twitter policies allowing for potential reassignment of dormant accounts.