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Free speech on social media is hard... just ask Facebook

Free speech on social media is hard... just ask Facebook

So he did it. Elon Musk's $44bn deal to acquire Twitter and take it private has been accepted by Twitter's board, giving Musk carte blanche — if the deal goes through — to reshape Twitter and achieve what he believes is its full unrealized potential.

Musk's main objective with Twitter is to turn the platform into a haven for "free speech" — which is one of those terms that almost everyone agrees with in principle, but often disagrees with in practice. Facebook and Instagram are good examples of how hard it is to moderate a global social media platform.

Since 2018 Meta reports that it has deleted more than 22.1 billion (with a b) fake accounts that have cropped up on the site, and just last quarter they deleted almost 15 million pieces of content that were deemed to be "bullying & harassment" across Instagram and Facebook — just one of many categories of harmful content that Facebook tracks and moderates.

Public enemy number one: bots

Getting the bots under control is a top priority for Musk, but where he and his team end up drawing the practical line (if there is one) on what constitutes "bullying & harassment", "hate speech" or "inciting violence" is yet to be seen. And - as expected - many people are leaving or joining Twitter solely because of the news, anticipating the platform getting better, or worse, before anything has even happened.

For what it's worth Twitter shares are currently trading just under $50, just below what Musk has offered to pay for them ($54.20). Considering they were trading at ~$39 before his involvement, the market seems to be pricing in a 70-80% chance the deal goes through.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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