Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder who cut off Trump's megaphone

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Jack Dorsey has discontinue  arsenic  Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has discontinue arsenic Twitter CEO.

Jack Dorsey, who stepped down arsenic CEO of the societal media elephantine Twitter Monday, is possibly champion known arsenic the antheral who kicked erstwhile US president Donald Trump disconnected the level helium utilized to tribunal supporters and onslaught his critics.

But the Twitter co-founder, sporting a beard and chemoreceptor ring, is besides 1 of Silicon Valley's iconic figures and his determination to resign aligns with his stances successful favour of the communal good.

The tattooed entrepreneur, who has said helium lone eats 1 repast a time arsenic portion of his wellness regime, became a fig of heavy power arsenic the of 2 large publically traded : Twitter and payments steadfast Square.

Born and raised successful St Louis, Missouri, the 45-year-old taught himself however to constitute machine codification by the clip helium was a teenager.

He has spoken successful interviews of being fascinated by maps and trains, and of however listening to exigency work vigor dispatchers arsenic a lad got him intrigued with the powerfulness of communicating with abbreviated bursts of words.

Like galore Silicon Valley celebrities, from Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs to Bill Gates oregon Michael Dell, Dorsey dropped retired of college, ne'er graduating from either of the universities helium attended, 1 successful his autochthonal Missouri and the different successful New York.

Dorsey is credited with coming up with the thought for Twitter erstwhile eventual co-founder Evan Williams gave workers astatine blogging startup Odeo 2 weeks to enactment connected amusive caller projects arsenic a mode to interruption up the regular routine.

Yet during Trump's presidency, Twitter was wide seen arsenic the mean utilized to broadcast America's deepening governmental and taste rifts.

Dorsey took the to permanently prohibition Trump from the platform, wherever the erstwhile president had amassed 88.7 cardinal followers.

Dorsey made the determination days aft Trump whipped up a mob of supporters who stormed the US Capitol, wherever they tried to forestall Joe Biden being confirmed victor of the 2020 election.

Within minutes of Dorsey's decision, the outgoing president's voluminous tweets were replaced by a elemental connection speechmaking "Account suspended."

The astir almighty antheral successful the satellite had mislaid his mouthpiece.

An effigy of erstwhile  Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey dressed arsenic  a January 6, 2021, insurrectionist is placed adjacent   the US Capitol successful  Washi An effigy of erstwhile Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey dressed arsenic a January 6, 2021, insurrectionist is placed adjacent the US Capitol successful Washington, DC, connected March 25, 2021. Protester acceptable up effigies of Big Tech CEO's arsenic the US Congress held hearings March 25 astir the dispersed of disinformation and misinformation connected their platforms.

Sad, but happy

On Monday, Dorsey tweeted retired his resignation letter, with the ironic connection "not definite anyone has heard, but I resigned from Twitter."

"There aren't galore companies that get to this level. And determination aren't galore founders that take their institution implicit their ain ego," helium wrote successful an email to Twitter staff.

"PS I'm tweeting this email. My 1 privation is for Twitter Inc to beryllium the astir transparent institution successful the world. Hi mom!," helium said successful closing the message.

It brings an extremity to an epoch that opened with Dorsey sending retired the world's archetypal tweet connected March 21, 2006 nether the grip @jack, which present has much than 5.5 cardinal followers.

He archetypal ran Twitter successful 2007-2008 and served arsenic main enforcement aft Dick Costolo resigned successful June 2015.

Dorsey was pushed retired of the main seat his archetypal clip around, known to permission aboriginal for idiosyncratic pursuits specified arsenic sewing oregon yoga classes.

He aboriginal sought to revamp his image, losing his dreadlocks and moving to mend relationships betwixt Twitter and developers and to reassure investors helium was up to the task of starring not conscionable Twitter but besides mobile payments institution Square, which helium founded successful 2009.

Within days of banning Trump from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube besides suspended the one-term president, who past resorted to issuing property statements which had acold little scope oregon impact.

Supporters of the erstwhile president accused Dorsey and the societal media giants of trying to curb escaped speech, and galore discontinue to articulation new, far-right-friendly platforms specified arsenic Gab and Parler.

Other critics of the large tech platforms accused them of turning a unsighted oculus to the misinformation being broadcast connected their pages, and called for them to beryllium breached up by Congress.

But helming 2 large tech companies raised doubts that Dorsey was over-extended, with reports emerging past twelvemonth that an assertive hedgefund, Elliott Management, was trying to oust him arsenic caput of Twitter.

"I'm truly sad...yet truly happy," Dorsey said successful his departure message.



© 2021 AFP

Citation: Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder who chopped disconnected Trump's megaphone (2021, November 29) retrieved 29 November 2021 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-jack-dorsey-twitter-co-founder-trump.html

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