Many Twitter users across the globe may be in for a big surprise with the notion that this social media monopoly might be under new future ownership. Initially reported by Bloomberg.com, entertainment giant Disney is said to be joining a growing group of parties interested in the possible sale of Twitter. Disney’s profound interest in Twitter was ignited by the social media’s iconic announcement that they are open for business. According to Bloomberg, the Burbank-based company is, “working with a financial adviser to evaluate a possible bid for twitter.” From a financial point of view, such reports appear quite credible, given its total equity of over $48 billion, though critics cite a host of different reasons for why this deal seems unlikely.

One of the biggest apparent concerns is that if Disney were to fork out the $20 billion necessary to purchase the tech giant, it would still have to address Twitter’s current problem: being an unprofitable company, having lost $107 million in the fiscal quarter ending on June 30, according to the LA Times. Another issue many critics have touched on, is the company’s’ residence on different ends of the free speech spectrum. While Disney bears a generally clean and censored image, Twitter does not, struggling to censor the publication of racist, homophobic, or sexist content in the past. According to senior Jezreel Bodley, an avid Twitter user, “Disney’s purchase of Twitter would go against every fundamental value of freedom of speech the social media app has to offer.” To Bodley’s point, the purchase of a company unable to control its user content could be fairly damaging to Disney’s image. This is why some critics find it so difficult to comprehend why this powerhouse company, with such high standards, has any interest in this freedom of speech platform.

As of now, Disney is working towards launching a bid for the tech giant, though currently not much else is known. Such a pairing seems quite odd, given the former’s reputation for tight control over published content and the latter’s commitment to free speech, as well as for economic and philosophical reasons, with many critics believing such a deal won’t go through. However, proponents think this is a sign of Disney’s growing media empire and potential influence in the world of social media.