Elon Musk announces change to Twitter logo
Twitter owner Elon Musk said Sunday that he was changing the social media brand's logo to an 'X' and doing away with the platform's iconic bird symbol.
The announcement began with a series of cryptic tweets from Musk about the letter 'X,' including a message which shows off a shimmering 'X' logo. He eventually tweeted that the company "shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand, and, gradually, all the birds."
The change could come as soon as Monday, Musk said, and is the latest large alteration in the company since Musk purchased the platform for $44 billion in 2022. The 'X' initiative is unsurprising, as Musk has long shown an obsession with the letter and changed the name of Twitter's parent company to X Corp. this past March. The billionaire magnate tweeted last year that his purchasing of Twitter was "an accelerant to creating X, the everything app," as part of an effort to compete with Mark Zuckerberg's Meta platform.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The feud between Musk and Zuckerberg has been heating up in recent months, with the latter recently unveiling a direct competitor to Twitter, a messaging app called Threads that is integrated into the Meta-owned Instagram. The two billionaires have even challenged each other to a fight, though it is unclear how serious either of them is.
However, the changing of the logo seems to directly go against the company's current beliefs. The website's branding page currently says that Twitter's bird logo "is our most recognizable asset. That's why we're so protective of it."
The change will also likely not be welcomed on Twitter itself, Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, told The Associated Press. Users of the platform "won't get it," Adamson added. "It's a fitting end to a phenomenal unwinding of an iconic brand and business."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Aid to Ukraine: too little, too late?
Talking Point House of Representatives finally 'met the moment' but some say it came too late
By The Week UK Published
-
5 generously funny cartoons on the $60 billion foreign aid package
Cartoons Artists take on Republican opposition, aid to Ukraine, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Knife: Salman Rushdie's 'mesmeric memoir' of brutal attack
The Week Recommends The author's account of ordeal which cost him his eye is both 'scary and heartwarming'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Amazon ending 'Just Walk Out' grocery checkout
Speed Read In its place, the company will let customers scan while they shop with Amazon Dash Cart
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suit
Speed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
House votes to force TikTok to sell or face US ban
speed read The House passed a bill to ban TikTok on national security grounds unless it sells to a non-Chinese company
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Apple kills its secret electric car project
Speed Read Many of the people from Project Titan are being reassigned to work on generative AI
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Google's new AI bot 'woke'?
Talking Points Gemini produced images of female popes and Black Vikings. Now the company has stepped back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk's most controversial moments
The Explainer The business mogul has a long history in the hot seat
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
2023: the year of the AI boom
the explainer This year, generative artificial intelligence bypassed the metaverse and became the next big thing in tech
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published