The Twitter community has taken it up again to voice their stances on Elon Musk’s new rule, noting that giving more power only to verified users could be dangerous.
Twitter users have reacted to the latest Elon Musk news by strictly allowing tweets from verified users to appear in the For You tab. The billionaire announced the decision to allow only messages from Twitter users with the blue tick to appear in the For You recommendations feed starting April 15. Musk started charging for verification after he acquired the social media services company. The blue mark, which was used to denote authentic accounts of select politicians, organizations, celebrities and personalities, is now available for sale to interested users. The changer elicited both applause and condemnation, but mostly condemnation. Users were concerned that scammers could use the opportunity to promote their illegal activities.
In addition to stating the For You tab accesses only verified users as the “only realistic way to tackle swarms of advanced AI bots taking over”, Elon Musk also endorsed 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 become involved in trolling and promoting misinformation. They also participated in the spread of false and unverified news. In fact, these bots are used to incite panic, spread malware, and misrepresent elections.
A major challenge with the new Elon Musk change is that these accounts controlled by bot software are not limited. While non-paying users are restricted to their followers, messages from bot accounts will be live in the “For You” feed. Meanwhile, Twitter works with just two algorithms: recommended tweets for you or tweets from people an account follows. Elon Musk’s latest policy reduces the chances of unverified Twitter users liking or retweeting tweets.
The Twitter community attacks Elon Musk for the new policy for verified users
The Twitter community has taken it up again to voice their stances on Elon Musk’s new rule, noting that giving more power only to verified users could be dangerous. One Twitter user commented on Musk’s post, stating:
“I am not behind this decision. You have to invest money in talent and AI technology to detect bots on the platform. This is not the way to go. It could tarnish the platform.”
In response, the CEO said that he predicts Twitter as the only trustworthy platform.
Another user attacked Elon Musk, writing that the favorable decision limited to verified Twitter users will not restore their advertisers or generate significant revenue. In particular, the microblogging site has lost many advertisers since it went private under new management. In a recent internal memo, the boss also told employees that Twitter’s valuation is $20 billion. This is less than 50% of the amount Musk paid when he acquired the company in October 2022. The businessman acquired Twitter for $44 billion.
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Ibukun is a crypto/finance writer interested in conveying relevant information, using non-complex words to reach all kinds of audiences. In addition to writing, he enjoys watching movies, cooking, and exploring restaurants in the city of Lagos, where he resides.
