Twitter users meltdown after video shows new CEO Linda Yaccarino is a pro-mask, pro-vaxx campaigner 

Twitter users have slammed Elon Musk for ‘selling out’ after a video re-emerged showing the social media platform’s new CEO campaigning for pro-mask and pro-vaccine initiatives. 

Musk was forced to jump to the defense of new Twitter chief Linda Yaccarino on her first day on the job after a separate video also saw her raising the possibility of allowing advertisers to have influence over the platform’s content. 

‘I hear your concerns, but don’t judge too early,’ Musk said. ‘I am adamant about defending free speech, even if it means losing money.’ 

In widely circulated footage, Yaccarino previously touted widespread mask mandates to combat the pandemic, saying: ‘Just keep your distance, get your hands washed often, get tested often, and wear your mask’.

Linda Yaccarino, pictured in September 2016, has been slammed after footage of her past remarks about free speech and vaccines came to light

Before taking on the role of Twitter’s CEO, Yaccarino served 11 years as chairman of global advertising at NBC Universal. 

And her commitment to free speech over catering to advertisers was brought into question as footage of her interviewing Musk a month before her appointment came to light. 

The media executive encouraged Musk to facilitate the return of an ‘influence council’, which would allow advertisers to hold more sway over the content on Twitter. 

The advertising executive said the council was ‘much loved’ and was a ‘feedback loop from your key stakeholders’, as she attempted to get Musk to commit to reinstating the panel. 

‘You’ve got a massive platform, you have a vision that is a spectrum of just daily open sourced conversation, and they can conduct their lives, their business, their commerce, whatever they can do on your platform,’ she said. 

‘But in the middle should be advertising opportunity – that sounds like a great opportunity.’ 

Elon Musk pushed back on Yaccarino’s encouragement of allowing advertisers to hold more sway over Twitter’s content

However, Yaccarino’s prodding of Musk to enhance the influence of advertisers on the platform was combatted by the billionaire. 

‘If I were to say yes, you can influence me, that would be wrong. That would be a diminishment of freedom of speech.’ 

After Yaccarino asked Musk about how the platform can help advertisers capitalize off the platform, he again pushed back and said censoring certain content would be ‘not cool’. 

‘I think it’s totally cool to say you want to have your advertising appear in certain places on Twitter and not other places,’ he continued. 

‘But it is not cool to try and say what Twitter will do, and if that means losing advertising dollars, we lose it. But freedom of speech is paramount.’ 

Alongside her role with NBC Universal, Yaccarino has also served as chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on Future of Work, and collaborated with the Biden administration to promote the Covid vaccine rollout as chair of the Ad Council. 

In the latter role, frequently touted her support for mask and vaccine mandates, including in a November 2020 tweet where she encouraged people to take the shot, which was first given to the public a month later.

She said: ‘Know the facts! The @AdCouncil is working to inform Americans on why we must embrace an FDA-approved Covid vaccine and how to go about it.

‘We’re almost there, let’s cross the finish line.’  

Musk, left, pushed back on questioning from Yaccarino, right, that encouraged advertising control over Twitter content 

Snapshots of Yaccarino’s past remarks were quickly criticized by Twitter users who slammed the stances she took. 

One commenter said her pro-mask clip was ‘frightening’, while another said: ‘If this is the truth I just might delete my account forever and say goodbye to Elon Musk for good.’ 

‘Disaster for Twitter,’ added another.