The Twitter community has taken it up to express their stances on the new rule by Elon Musk, noting that giving more power to only verified users could be dangerous.
Twitter users have reacted to the latest news by Elon Musk to strictly allow tweets from verified users to appear in the For You tab. The billionaire announced the decision to let only messages from Twitter users with the blue tick pop in the For You recommendation feed from April 15. Musk began to charge for verification after he acquired the social networking service company. The blue tick, which was used to indicate authentic accounts of politicians, organizations, celebs, and select personalities, has now become available for sale to interested users. The changer stirred both applause and condemnations but mostly condemnations. Users were concerned that scammers could utilize the opportunity to further their illicit activities.
In addition to declaring the For You tab access to only verified users as the “only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over,” Elon Musk also approved verified bot accounts. A typical Twitter bot is designed to perform human-like activities such as liking tweets and following other users. Over time, social media bots, including Twitter bots have been involved in trolling and promoting wrong information. They also participated in spreading fake and unverified news. As a matter of fact, these bots are used to incite panic, spread malware, and spin elections.
A major challenge with the new Elon Musk change is that these bot software-controlled accounts are not being limited. While no-paying users are restricted to their following, messages from bots accounts will be live on the “For You” feed. Meanwhile, Twitter functions on just two algorithms- For You recommended tweets or tweets from the people an account follows. The latest Elon Musk policy reduces the like or retweet chances of tweets from unverified Twitter users.
Twitter Community Attacks Elon Musk on New Policy for Verified Users
The Twitter community has taken it up to express their stances on the new rule by Elon Musk, noting that giving more power to only verified users could be dangerous. A Twitter user commented on Musk’s post, stating:
“I don’t get behind this decision. You need to invest money into talent and AI tech to detect bots on the platform. This isn’t the way to go. It could tarnish the platform.”
In response, the CEO said he predicts Twitter as the only trustable platform.
Another user attacked Elon Musk, writing that the favorable decision limited to verified Twitter users will not restore its advertisers or result in significant revenue. Notably, the microblogging site has lost many advertisers since it became a private company under the new administration. In a recent internal memo, the boss also told employees that Twitter’s valuation is at $20 billion. This is lower than 50% of the amount Musk paid when he acquired the company in October 2022. The businessman acquired Twitter for $44 billion.
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.
