Twitter is facing criticism from its users and the media once again, this time over its secret VIP list of prominent users that it monitors and whose tweets are given increased visibility in the algorithmic “For You” feed. Among those on the list are high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, President Joe Biden, conservative personality Ben Shapiro, and Tesla fan account @teslaownerssv.
Twitter’s VIP list draws criticism
Twitter’s VIP list of power users was originally created to monitor their engagement and allay suspicions of “shadowbans.” However, the company is facing backlash for giving some users preferential treatment in its recommendation algorithm. Even though Twitter’s algorithm is overly complex and not fully understood internally, according to Musk himself, the fact that some users received a boost because of their status has raised eyebrows.
Musk had promised to make Twitter’s recommendation algorithms open source, but recently stated that only paid subscribers to Twitter Blue would be eligible to have their tweets displayed in the algorithmic “For You” feed. It is not clear whether this change would also affect the VIP list of users who regularly get a boost in the feed.
Last month, Musk complained on Twitter about an issue he faced where his tweets were taking over users’ For You feeds. Twitter employees reportedly changed the algorithm to favor Musk after he was angry that his Super Bowl tweet didn’t receive as much engagement as Biden’s. He even reportedly fired an engineer who suggested declining interest in his tweets as a reason for lack of engagement.
Elon Musk defends paid verification program
In another move that has drawn criticism from Twitter users, Musk recently defended a new subscription-based verification program that grants verified blue check-marks only to paying Twitter users.
Musk claimed that this move is about fairness and treating everyone equally without any different standards for celebrities. The only individual Twitter users who will have verified blue checkmarks after April 1, 2023, are those paying for Twitter Blue. Twitter also plans to charge businesses and organizations $1,000/month to retain verified status.
This move is in stark contrast to what Musk told writer Stephen King last fall when he defended the paid-verification system by saying, “We need to pay the bills somehow!” The plan has received pushback from prominent personalities such as Monica Lewinsky, who called it “the end of free speech and a democratic platform.”
Merriam-Webster mocks Twitter Blue
Merriam-Webster has entered the fray by launching a mock subscription-only service called “Merriam-Webster Red,” mocking Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue subscription service. Twitter Blue provides users with a verified blue checkmark for a fee, which has faced criticism.
According to reports, Merriam-Webster’s tweet mocking Twitter Blue has already received over 3.6 million views on Twitter. While it may seem like harmless fun poking, criticism over big tech’s expansion into monetization has been growing in recent years.
Conclusion
Twitter is facing criticism from all sides over its VIP list and recent moves to monetize verification on its platform. With big tech companies coming under increasing scrutiny over their business practices and how they affect our society, it is clear that the debate over social media business models will continue for some time.
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