In addition to the news that only tweets from verified users will appear in the For You tab, the Twitter boss also declared that unverified users would no longer be able to vote in polls.
Popular billionaire and Twitter owner Elon Musk said that only verified users would pop on the “For You” recommendation feed moving forward. This is the latest change the CEO is making to the social media platform since he acquired the company and assumed the top position in October 2022. One of the major changes he made was to charge for verification. Under Jack Dorsey’s leadership, Twitter verification was free and applied to renowned individuals, journalists, organizations, celebrities, and government officials. However, Musk began an $8 subscription for the blue tick. The rule also binds existing verified users, which means that they have to subscribe to remain verified. While a few supported the move, the larger part of the Twitter community was displeased with the announcement. Some believe this would make it easier for scammers to gain authenticity by simply paying for the blue tick that was once free.
Only Verified Twitter Users Will Pop on ‘For You’ Recommendation Tab
As Musk continues its restructuring, only verified Twitter users will appear in the recommendation feed from April 15. Before the announcement, users view tweets from verified and unverified users on their “For You” tab. These messages appear based on the recommendation by algorithms from their followers and even people they do not follow. However, this is about to stop with Musk’s order. He said in a tweet earlier today:
“Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations. This is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle. Voting in polls will require verification for the same reason.”
In addition to the news that only tweets from verified users will appear in the For You tab, the Twitter boss also declared that unverified users would no longer be able to vote in polls. Musk also approved of verified bot accounts as long as they “follow terms of service & don’t impersonate a human.”
Although Musk has been trying to create a new revenue stream for the company, there was a record of valuation loss. The company recently told employees in an internal memo that Twitter is now valued at $20 billion. Meanwhile, the said valuation is lower than half of what the billionaire paid to acquire the social networking service provider. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion on the 27th of October, 2022.
Since then, the company, which had 237.8 million daily active users before going private, has lost many advertisers.
“There are other places I can spend my money without having to worry that I’ll be attacked by Elon, or my clients will be, or that he will say something that will force me to turn off my ads,” said one of the advertisers.
Ibukun is a crypto/finance writer interested in passing relevant information, using non-complex words to reach all kinds of audience.
Apart from writing, she likes to see movies, cook, and explore restaurants in the city of Lagos, where she resides.
