Twitter is supposedly boosting the tweets of 35 VIP users, according to a new report.
CEO Elon Musk - who previously tweeted about the platform not having a different standard for celebrities - is set to scrap features for users who do not pay a monthly fee for a blue tick verification.
“This is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle,” he tweeted on Monday.
Non-verified users - who don't pay $7 (£5.69) a month for an annual subscription to the service - will now not be able to vote on polls.
In response to criticism from Canadian actor William Shatner - that the blue checks will soon disappear for non-paying accounts - Musk said the rules are 'more about treating everyone equally' as there 'shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities'.
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American activist Monica Lewinsky has criticised the billionaire, tweeting: “In what universe is it fair to people who can suffer consequences for being impersonated? A lie travels half way around the world before truth even gets out the door.”
And now, according to documents obtained by Platformer - Twitter engineers have designed the platform in such a way that some accounts are more visible than others.
More specifically, there is said to be a list of 35 big name celebs who can bypass an algorithm which usually caps the reach of a Twitter user.
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Zoë Schiffer, managing editor of Platformer, claims that the publication has 'maintained a list of around 35 VIP users whose accounts it monitors and offers increased visibility alongside Elon Musk'.
Without releasing the full list, some of the names include:
- NBA player LeBron James
- Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro
- Conservative commentator @catturd2
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY
- President Joe Biden
When UNILAD reached out for comment, Twitter auto-replied with a poop emoji.
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Announcing his s**tty move last week, Musk tweeted: “[email address] [email protected] now auto responds with [poop emoji]”
As expected, users are baffled by the decision, as one person commented: “Hi, looking for an honest answer.
"What’s it like to work at Twitter right now?”
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Another reads: “Hello press team, I know you’re very busy, but would it be possible to get a quick comment on what you think of the current Twitter CEO Elon Musk?”
While a third asks: “I know this is highly unorthodox, but would the Twitter press department be willing to share what Elon Musk’s favorite fetish is?”
Anish Vij