Social network X turns 20; see how ex-Twitter went from blue bird to Elon Musk

Where it all began Twitter was launched to the public on July 15, 2006, but its first publication was made four months earlier, during the testing period. "I'm creating my Twttr account," posted Jack Dorsey on March 21 of that year. The first tweet in history was sold in 2021 as an NFT (acronym in English for "non-fungible token"), a type of unique digital asset. The registration cost just over US$2.9 million (R$14.7 million, at current prices) for the buyer.

In the following years, Twitter established itself as a social network where celebrities, athletes, politicians and companies could speak directly to their audiences. Today, Musk's account is the most popular, with 240 million followers, but this only happened after the businessman acquired the service. For a long time, former American president Barack Obama, now with 119 million followers, was the owner of the most famous profile on the network. In Brazil, Neymar Jr. leads the ranking of most popular accounts, with 63 million followers. Remember below memorable moments from X, formerly Twitter. The network also helped popularize memes and viral phenomena. Among the most famous is the selfie taken by presenter Ellen DeGeneres during the 2014 Oscar ceremony. The photo, which brought together stars such as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, is one of the most liked in history. Selfie Oscar Social networks Ellen DeGenres The arrival of Elon Musk The most turbulent chapter in the company's history began in 2022. In April of that year, Elon Musk announced an offer to buy Twitter for around US$44 billion. The process was marked by negotiations, public disputes and attempts to withdraw. After months of uncertainty, the agreement was concluded in October 2022. Shortly after taking control of the company, Musk carried out a broad restructuring, including changes in leadership, mass layoffs and changes to the platform's policies. Under Musk's command, the platform began to be questioned even more about failures in combating misinformation and in its content moderation. The new owner started to defend changes that prioritized his idea of ??freedom of expression. Elon Musk enters Twitter headquarters with a sink in his hands Twitter becomes X In July 2023, Musk announced the end of the Twitter brand. The traditional blue bird, the platform's symbol for more than a decade, was replaced by the letter X, the name that now identifies the company and the service. The change was part of the billionaire's strategy to transform the social network into an application with multiple services, inspired by models known as "superapps". The transition was accompanied by other changes, such as changes to the account verification system, new paid products, flexibility in platform rules and adjustments to tools used by developers. Twitter gains a new visual identity with a large "X" The turbulent relationship with Brazil The relationship between X and the Brazilian authorities entered one of its most delicate moments in 2024, until reaching the temporary suspension of the network in the country. In August of that year, the company announced the closure of its office in Brazil, alleging that Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court, had threatened its legal representative in the country with arrest if she did not comply with court decisions. Days later, Moraes ordered the platform to appoint the new legal representative. The order was not complied with, and the minister decided to suspend the social network throughout the country, a measure that was only reversed around 40 days later. Elon Musk and Aleandre de Moraes EVARISTO SA, ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP