Users with a Twitter Blue subscription will get a lot of benefits. Elon Musk stated on his social media platform that those who sign up for Twitter Blue, the Premium tier, will be able to take part in voting that is held on Twitter.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the richest man in the world, purchased Twitter for $44 billion last year and declared on the microblogging platform that he thought it was the only way to keep the sophisticated AI bots out and allow real accounts to participate.
He also noted that the subscribers of the premium service will also be eligible to appear in “For You” recommendations of a user.
“For You” feed will suggest the Tweets which a user might like from the accounts that are not followed, based on the algorithms and user activity.
Talking about the benefits of a Twitter Blue subscription, Elon Musk said: “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,” in a tweet on Monday night.
He also wrote: “That said, it’s ok to have verified bot accounts if they follow terms of service [and] don’t impersonate a human.”
Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations.
The 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 same reason.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023
Musk’s announcement drew the ire of hundreds of Twitter users.
One user said he couldn’t support it and Musk needed 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.”
Elon Musk replied: “My prediction is that this will be the only platform you can trust.”
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
— Ben (@videotech_) March 28, 2023
Another user wrote: “So basically if you can’t afford to pay for Twitter your voice cannot be amplified in the ‘Town Square’?”
While another said: “How does this prevent verified accounts that are impersonating non-verified accounts (eg. ‘notable figures’) from getting even more visibility?”
The blue tick was given to famous and well-known users after their authenticity was confirmed prior to Musk’s takeover, but the rule was reviewed after the billionaire acquired control of the microblogging platform.
Now, only those who fulfill the outlined requirements would receive it. Before April 1, it’s possible that some people might lose their check marks.
Musk has made an effort to entice people by providing them with a “For You” feed, which encourages them and helps the account reach more people with related interests.
The monthly cost of the Twitter Blue subscription on the web is $8, or $84 annually, while the monthly cost on iOS and Android is $11, or $115 annually.
Also read: Twitter says parts of source code leaked online
Elon Reeve Musk is a business magnate and investor. He is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO, and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; owner and CEO of Twitter, Inc.; founder of the Boring Company; co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI; and president of the philanthropic Musk Foundation.
With an estimated net worth of around $192 billion as of March 27, 2023, primarily from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX, Musk is the second-wealthiest person in the world, according to both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes‘s real-time billionaire’s list.
