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Twitter is secretly boosting the tweets of 35 VIP users, expert claims

Anish Vij

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| Last updated 

Twitter is secretly boosting the tweets of 35 VIP users, expert claims

Featured Image Credit: REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo / imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo

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.

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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'.

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.”

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Twitter is supposedly boosting the tweets of 35 VIP users, according to a new report. Credit: imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo
Twitter is supposedly boosting the tweets of 35 VIP users, according to a new report. Credit: imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo

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.

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'.

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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.

See, we did try? Credit: LADbible Group
See, we did try? Credit: LADbible Group
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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?”

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?”

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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?”

Topics: Technology, Twitter, Elon Musk, Celebrity

Anish Vij
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