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Twitter: 'X' sign removed from San Francisco headquarters

August 1, 2023

The city's department of building inspection responded to 24 complaints against the sign which had intrusive lights and did not appear to be secured safely to the roof.

https://p.dw.com/p/4UcNt
'X' logo is seen on the top of the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco
The city of San Francisco had launched an investigation into the giant "X" signImage: Carlos Barria/REUTERS

A brightly flashing "X" sign on the roof of the San Francisco headquarters of the company formerly known as Twitter was removed on Monday, just days after it was installed.

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said there were 24 complaints about the towering, unpermitted structure over the weekend. The complaints included concerns about the safety of the structure and intrusive lights.

The sign was part of the rebranding effort of the Elon Musk-owned company, now known as X.

The company had removed the iconic blue bird logo from the building last week, though the 'er' of Twitter remained up after the takedown was abruptly halted since the company did not have the necessary permits.

The chaos around the replacement of the sign is reflective of Musk's rebranding efforts in general. The micro-blogging platform still sports the Twitter name and branding in several places on the platform. 

Workers start to dismantle a large 'X' logo on the roof of X headquarters on July 31, 2023 in San Francisco, California
The social media company had removed the iconic blue bird logo from the building last weekImage: Justin Sullivan/AFP/Getty Images

Investigation of the 'X'

The city of San Francisco had launched an investigation into the giant 'X' sign on Friday.

A building inspector attempted to inspect the structure on the roof on Friday, acting on complaints that the sign did not appear to be securely anchored to the roof. He was, however, not allowed on the roof.

Instead, an X representative told him the sign was put up temporarily for an event. A second attempt at inspecting the sign over the weekend was also thwarted.

After this, the city sent X a notice of violation.

"This morning, building inspectors observed the structure being dismantled," a spokesperson from the city Department of Building Inspection told Reuters news agency via email. "The property owner will be assessed fees for the unpermitted installation of the illuminated structure."

X said the sign was taken down voluntarily. 

mk/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)