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Elon Musk introduces significant changes to Twitter Blue feature

Date: March 29, 2023 Pooja Sharma Pooja Sharma
Elon Musk introduces significant changes to Twitter Blue feature 
Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter has recently announced substantial changes to the social media platform’s paid Twitter Blue feature.  Starting April 15th, only the posts of verified, paid subscribers will be added to the recommendations section and these users will be allowed to vote in polls. The “For You” section for tweet recommendations will not be accessible for non-paying users, under the new policy.



Twitter has recently announced the removal of verified status of certain legacy accounts. Users currently pay a monthly fee of USD 7 to receive blue tick verification, alongside access to some other features.



There are two algorithms on Twitter, the For You section of recommended tweets and tweets from followed accounts. The new policy will preclude non-payers from participating in one of these streams. This may negatively impact unverified Twitter users as it restricts the chances of their tweets being liked or retweeted.



Twitter Blue had a chaotic launch in November 2022. Many users started impersonating big brands and celebrities, including Mr. Musk. They also started paying to obtain the blue tick verification in order to look authentic.



The Twitter Blue feature also attracted the attention of some controversial groups including Taliban officials and their supporters in Afghanistan. This forced Twitter to pause the feature in less than a week after its launch. However, it was relaunched a month later.



Earlier, a blue tick badge indicated the authenticity of high-profile accounts. The facility was provided by Twitter without a fee, with the verification of the profiles solely at the discretion of the firm.



According to Musk, paid verification is the only realistic way to combat the rapid influx of AI bots, since it increases the costs of using these bots substantially, in turn making them easier to identify. Recently, the platform announced its intention to start phasing out the legacy verified programme and remove some legacy verified blue ticks from April 1. It added that the users would need to pay to keep their blue checkmark on Twitter.



Source credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65095684

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Pooja Sharma

Pursuing her professional career as a content writer for over two years now, Pooja Sharma is endowed with a post-graduate degree in English Literature. The articles that she writes are a balanced blend of her ever-growing love of language and the technical expertise that she has gained over the years. Currently Pooja pens insightful articles for Newsorigins and numerous other websites, covering subjects such as business, finance, and technology.