Brightly flashing 'X' sign removed from San Francisco building after furore
- Last updated: August 1, 2023 | 18:35
Gulf Today Report
X removed its huge luminous logo on the roof of its office building on Monday, following a dispute between the tech giant and San Francisco city authorities.
Installing the logo on the roof of the company's headquarters on Market Street in the city center last week was part of Elon Musk's plan to rebrand the social network that is facing many problems and turmoil.
But neighbours of the building have complained about the logo's flashing lights at night, and some have expressed concerns that the structure is not securely attached to the edge of the roof.
The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and Urban Planning received 24 complaints about the logo, including complaints about structural integrity and lighting, Patrick Hanan, the department's communications director, told reporters.
"This morning, the inspectors proceeded with removing the emblem," Hanan said.
He added that the landlord of the property where X rents its offices must pay licensing fees for installing and removing the logo, in addition to the cost of the city's investigation.
The company prevented inspectors hired by the San Francisco authorities from continuing their work on Friday and Saturday, but the city sent a warning to the company on Monday, that such signs above its headquarters require permits and payment of fees.
Musk ignored the harsh reactions to the general rebranding from Twitter to X, and responded to a post about the matter with a laughing emoji.
The billionaire ditched the globally recognizable blue bird logo last week when he renamed the company he hopes to turn into an app inspired by China's WeChat.
Since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last October, revenue has halved for reasons related to Musk's management, criticism, and the platform's abandonment of content control.
A lawsuit filed against Musk by former employees stated that the billionaire made it clear that he had no intention of paying expenses such as rent or severance pay.