After Investigation and Complaints, Twitter Removes ‘X’ on Headquarters

Background: San Francisco was investigating.

According to a complaint filed with San Francisco, an inspector went to Twitter’s headquarters on Friday to notify the company that it was in violation of safety codes for having a structure on the roof without a permit. The inspector requested access to inspect the sign.

Twitter representatives told the inspector that it was a “temporary lighted sign for an event,” the complaint said. The inspector explained to company representatives that the city would require the structure to either be removed or be brought up to code.

City inspectors tried to gain access to the roof a second time on Saturday, but “upon arrival access was denied again by tenant,” the complaint said.

“A building permit is required to make sure the sign is structurally sound and installed safely,” Mr. Hannan said in a statement on Sunday regarding the city’s investigation. “Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign,” he said.

The sign was being dismantled when an inspector returned for a third time on Monday. “By the time I left the entire structure had been removed,” the inspector noted.

Why It Matters: The social media platform is rebranding.

The social media company has been embroiled in issues over signage amid the platform’s sudden flurry of rebranding.

In late July, Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who bought Twitter last year, renamed the platform X.com and replaced its blue and white bird logo.

The changes were reflected inside Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters — X logos were projected in the cafeteria and conference rooms were renamed — as well as outside. Early on July 24, Mr. Musk shared a photo of a giant X projected on Twitter’s office building shortly after announcing the change.

“Soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” he wrote.

The next week, the San Francisco police stopped workers from removing its bird logo from the side of the building, saying the workers had not blocked off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell, The Associated Press reported.

A complaint about that sign’s removal was also filed with the city, citing permit violations. Days later, the “X” sign was installed.

What’s Next: The “X” came with a price.

Mr. Hannan said in the statement on Monday that the company would be “assessed fees for the unpermitted installation of the illuminated structure.”

The fees will be for building permits for the installation and removal of the structure, and to cover the cost of the city’s investigation, he said, declining to provide an estimate.

This year, the company was sued for $1.9 million in unpaid bills by Innisfree M&A Incorporated, an advisory firm it hired during its sale to Mr. Musk.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.