Elon Musk Plans to Limit Twitter’s ‘For You’ Feed to Paid Subscribers
Less than 24 hours after Elon Musk hinted that Twitter users may exclusively see tweets from paid subscribers in their default feed, the billionaire was compelled to specify that tweets from accounts that users follow will still remain visible.
The first screen that users encounter when they open the Twitter app is the algorithm-based “For You” tab, which can display tweets from individuals who are not being followed.
Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations.
The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.
Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023
On Monday evening, Musk announced that the For You tab would solely suggest accounts that pay for the premium Twitter Blue service, commencing from April 15th.
“To address advanced AI bot swarms taking over, starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations,” he stated in a tweet.
“Otherwise, it’s a hopeless losing battle. Voting in polls will require verification for the same reason.”
However, Musk tweeted a clarification on Tuesday, stating, “I forgot to mention that accounts that you directly follow will also be included in For You, as you have explicitly requested for them.” Oops.
Forgot to mention that accounts you follow directly will also be in For You, since you have explicitly asked for them
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2023
Over the last five months, since Musk took ownership of Twitter, he and the company have had to re-evaluate, clarify, postpone, or retract several modifications to the platform, resulting in some confusion and rapid changes for users.
Being featured in the “For You” feed assists users in increasing their number of followers. However, voting in polls does not offer the same benefit to users. Still, prohibiting users from voting may encourage some to subscribe to the paid service.
Musk frequently conducts his own surveys on Twitter, questioning users on a variety of topics, including whether he should relinquish his position as the platform’s CEO or if he should sell shares of Tesla (TSLA) stock.
Although Musk stated that Twitter is introducing the change to counter bot accounts, he later tweeted, “Having verified bot accounts is acceptable as long as they adhere to the terms of service and do not impersonate a human.”
As part of Musk’s strategy to decrease Twitter’s reliance on advertising revenue, he intends to implement changes. Since Musk’s arrival in October, a substantial portion of Twitter’s advertising base has left the platform.
Last week, Musk announced that users who had received a free blue checkmark, which is generally granted to government officials, celebrities, media personalities, and other high-profile users, would lose this free verification in April if they do not pay a subscription fee of either $84 per year or $8 per month.
Musk and actor William Shatner had a disagreement on Twitter over the weekend when Shatner objected to paying for the checkmark. “Hey @elonmusk what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter?” Shatner tweeted.
“I’ve been here for 15 years giving my time & witty thoughts all for bupkis. Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free?”
On Sunday, Musk replied to Shatner in a tweet, stating that “It’s more about treating everyone equally. There shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities.”