The precedent is from X, which will just take it from you without even bothering to notify you.

First time interacting with journalism? Granted, this is even more slanted than typical.

is there evidence that happened (there was payment for handle)?

No, there's no evidence either way. Both are equally possible.

The odds of X forcefully handing a handle over from a user to Meta for an AI product seem lower to me than them being paid for it, but that's not based on anything either.

Using "lost" in a headline is therefore misleading, as it implies a lack of consent where there is no actual knowledge that is the case.

> Both are equally possible.

I don't think so, because if it was involuntary from Muse the band, surely they would post something about it. They would get a ton of publicity and goodwill for shit talking Meta, and the fact that they aren't makes it much more likely that they were paid for it.

You're right, I was thinking in my head "equally possible based on the information presented" but didn't write it out. Were I a betting man, I'd put money on them being paid to transfer the name rather than X screwing over a well known band for the benefit of their own competition, Meta.

Slack couldn't get their own handle on Twitter/X

they’re being poetic in that title, and I thought this was ok, but seeing the comment there I guess people really see evil everywhere they look