Elon Musk, founder, CEO and chairman of Tesla, tweeted “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured,” on Aug. 7.

No big deal right? Actually, that tweet initiated an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into whether or not Elon Musk committed securities fraud.

The results of that investigation found that Musk did in fact commit securities fraud. As punishment, Tesla will pay a $20 million fine. In addition, Musk will also pay a $20 million fine as well as step down as the chairman at Tesla.

While these punishments might seem harsh for a simple tweet, they send a clear message. What someone posts on the internet, especially on their personal Twitter account, is an official statement, whether they mean for it to be or not.

The problem isn’t limited to just Musk. Public figures have to learn that their tweets can and will have repercussions.

Consider Donald Trump’s tweet on Nov. 27, 2016 – “In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” This tweet solidified the White House’s position that voter fraud was a serious problem in the 2016 Presidential election.

As the White House found out over the first several months of Trump’s presidency, tweets from the official presidential Twitter account as well as Trump’s personal account are regarded as official statements by the president, himself. They represent the official position of the Trump Presidency.

Musk and Trump aren’t the only offenders. Public figures across the country are guilty of abusing their Twitter accounts. What they fail to understand is that in today’s digital age, tweets are as official as the words right out of their mouth.

Twitter is an excellent platform for expressing one’s personal opinions and beliefs. But when it comes to sharing decisions or official positions, it is less than stellar.

Public figures need to accept the responsibility their words carry, regardless of how those words are shared with the world. Convenience and entitlement are no excuse when it comes to tweeting important messages.