Elon Musk Could Face Charges for Unauthorized Flashing X Sign

Over 24 complaints were made about the sign installed on the Twitter HQ building during the weekend

Elon Musk recently rebranded Twitter as ‘X’, replacing the familiar Twitter bird logo with a simple glowing X. The X sign was also installed on the Twitter headquarters building. However, the idea of a flashing light coming from the rooftop of a tall building did not sit well with residents in the area.
Installed on Friday as part of the company’s rebranding, the sign generated over 24 complaints during the weekend.
San Francisco authorities quickly responded by taking down the new sign on Monday. They also announced that the company would be charged for the cost of the building permits required for the installation and removal of these signs.

LONG LIVE X!

One day, the sign will rise again. pic.twitter.com/zvLmR5tQJW

— Elon Musk (Parody) (@ElonMuskAOC) August 1, 2023

Authorities also emphasized that X did not have permission to display these signs, making them not only disruptive to the neighborhood but also illegal.
In addition to other expenses, X will now be required to cover the entire cost of the Department of Building Inspection and the Planning Department’s investigation.
X encountered another issue with its sign recently when it was removing the old ‘Twitter’ sign and got stuck on the ending letters, temporarily leaving the building with the name ‘ER’.

Why the Change?

Why would someone leave behind a well-known name and logo to rebrand their company as ‘X’? That is the question that comes to mind when looking at the rebranding decision.
If you have the same question, the answer is ‘no one’, except for those who are willing to take risks. Musk, who has always shown a tolerance for risk, is now planning to expand ‘X’ into an all-encompassing app or more accurately, a super app that offers multiple services.
Examples of such applications can be found in markets like China, where ‘WeChat’ provides social media, news, instant messaging, payments, and more all within a single application.