Elon Musk unveils benefits of Twitter Blue subscription

 

Elon Musk has announced that those who will subscribe to Twitter Blue — Premium tier — would be allowed to participate in voting held on Twitter, he said on his social media platform.

Musk, who is the world's richest man and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, acquired ownership of Twitter last year for $44 billion and stated on the microblogging website that he believes it is the only way to allow real accounts to take part and keep the advanced AI bots aside.

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.

"Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations,” Musk said in a tweet on Monday night. "The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle."

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."

Musk 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."

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?"

Before Musk’s takeover, the blue tick was provided to notable and popular users after their authenticity was verified but the policy was revisited after the billionaire took over the microblogging website. 

Now, it would be given to those who would meet the stated requirements. It may be possible that people would lose their check marks before the April 1.

Musk has tried to lure people by encouraging them with a "For You" feed — which helps in increasing the account reach to greater and similar interest users. 

The Twitter Blue subscription is available on the web on $8 monthly or $84 annually whereas it is available via iOS and Android for $11 per month ($115 per year)