‘X’ on Twitter’s Headquarters Faces Investigation Over Permit Violations

An “X” sign installed on Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters on Friday as part of the company’s rebranding is under investigation by the city for lacking proper permits, according to officials.

“A building permit is required to make sure the sign is structurally sound and installed safely,” Patrick Hannan, a spokesman for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said in a statement on Sunday. “Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign.”

An inspector went to the Twitter headquarters on Friday to notify the company that it was in violation and to request access to the roof to inspect the sign, according to a complaint filed with the city.

Twitter representatives told the inspector that the sign was a “temporary lighted sign for an event,” the complaint said.

Inspectors with the city attempted to gain access to the roof a second time on Saturday, but “upon arrival access was denied again by tenant,” the complaint said.

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

Matt Dorsey, the District 6 supervisor who represents the part of the city where Twitter has its headquarters, said the company seemed to be in an “adversarial posture” when it refused to let building inspectors in. He said he hoped that it would change its stance.

“I would like to sort of extend an olive branch,” Mr. Dorsey said. “I think there’s a lot of people in city government who would welcome the opportunity to work with a large employer like X, and let’s figure out what we’re going to do with the sign, but we can have a good productive partnership with a city employer.”

This is not the first time the social media company has run into an issue over signage.

The San Francisco police stopped workers on Monday from removing the brand’s iconic bird logo from the side of the building, saying that the workers had not taped 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. The “X” was installed shortly after the original sign was removed, The A.P. reported.

The “X” sign drew criticism on social media for its bright flashing lights shining into apartments.

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, wrote on Twitter on July 23, “soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” About 24 hours later, Twitter officially changed its logo.