The Twitter application is seen on a digital device, Monday, April 25, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday that soon only blue check mark accounts will appear in the platform's recommendation or feed. Right now, an algorithm determines which tweets appear in the "For You" view, which features some posts from accounts you don't follow.
The change, set to begin April 15, would make it so only accounts that pay for the blue check mark designation make the cut.
"[This] is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over," Musk tweeted. "It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle."
In addition, only those users would be able to vote in polls.
The announcement is the latest attempt by Musk to overhaul the struggling social media platform since he purchased it last year. His last major change was launching a subscription service for $8 a month that allows users to essentially pay for verification. Legacy verified accounts now would be required to pay for the subscription as well to keep the check mark.
Previously, Twitter used verification as a way to make sure accounts are matched with the actual people they are presenting as on the platform. When the subscription service first launched, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly was hit with a stock selloff after a user with a blue check spoofed its official account and announced that insulin would now be free of charge.
New car owner analysis from Insurify finds drivers spend an average of $5,851 a year on insurance, gas and maintenance alone, separate from financing costs.
Oil prices are climbing again after Saudi Arabia shut down a critical pipeline that has served as a major alternative route around the Strait of Hormuz.
Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart, explains how Clementine uses AI to personalize grocery shopping, build carts, find deals, and save time.
Ari Hawkins, Trade Reporter at POLITICO, examines Canada’s retaliation, Trump’s latest trade threats and the potential impact on businesses and consumers.