Elon Musk is facing controversy yet again for potentially violating a permit law, affecting photosensitive people with his new addition to Twitter headquarters and the new sign has become a general nuisance for neighbors who have to witness its effects.
On July 24, police briefly stopped workers attempting to remove the blue bird Twitter logo sign from atop the San Francisco building as they did not have a permit nor safety protocols in place for people walking underneath the building. Then on July 28, workers installed the new “X” sign, the new logo for the social media platform.
According to AP, the city of San Fransisco officially opened a complaint and launched an investigation into the sign. The spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection for the city noted that sign replacements need a replacement to make sure there is “consistency with the historic nature of the building” in addition to numerous safety concerns.
The sign infamously has an extremely bright strobing effect that has caused neighbors and people visiting the area to be annoyed if not potentially hurt by the effect, for those with photo sensitivities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act is able to protect people with light sensitivity disabilities. People with these could be diagnosed with epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, and bipolar disorder in addition to a number of different types of cancer.
“Any project that has government involvement is required by federal ADA law to ensure that
those with light sensitivity disabilities are not harmed by any artificial lighting used for the project.” Soft Lights via the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) noted.
It is unclear if the light actually adheres to the ADA or if the strobe lights could cause people who are near it, harm. Twitter user Christopher Beale posted a video of just how bright it is and explained to people how irritating it is to him.
“It’s hard to describe how bright it made this intersection, but it’s way up off the street and it was still just like a flash of lightning going off. We came home and tried to watch a movie, and it was flashing through this window so bright that even with the shades down. It was so distracting that we had to leave the room and go to the side of the apartment that doesn’t face their building,” he said in the video clip. “…I feel like if I was a person that was maybe epileptic or had a sensitivity to bright lights and strobes it would be a major problem to live here. For now, it’s just an irritant.”
Warning: Some tweets below may contain strong language.