Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter’s “For You” Feed with Exclusive Verification and Paid Subscription Model

In the latest Twitter algorithm changes introduced by CEO Elon Musk, only users who pay for the premium Twitter Blue service will be recommended on the “For You” feed.

CNN reported that it is part of Musk’s plans to shift the micro-blogging site away from being almost fully dependent on advertising dollars for its revenue and to move away from AI bots that swarm the site. Announcing the new features from his own Twitter handle, Musk tweeted, “Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations,” he announced in a tweet Monday evening. “This 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 the same reason.”

However, after receiving criticism for the latest switch in the algorithm, the Tesla founder was soon forced to clarify that posts from accounts that the users follow will still be visible to them on their “For You” page.  Since Twitter’s “For You” tab curates tweets even from people who are not followed by the users, the feature applies as an excellent recommendation and marketing tool for non-verified accounts, but, alas, this will be changing soon. It will now mean that only followers and users who pay for the verified Twitter Blue service will be eligible for the curated section of the micro-blogging platform.

Appearing in the “For You” section also helps users scale their followers in numbers. Voting in polls doesn’t benefit users in the same way, but blocking them from the same may prompt some to sign up for the paid service.

Musk announced that the recent changes on Twitter have been implemented to shift towards a bot-free agenda, after previously expressing concern over the rise of AI. However, he also tweeted, “That said, it’s ok to have verified bot accounts if they follow terms of service [and] don’t impersonate a human.”

In a bid to make subscription-based verified accounts a reality, Musk is pushing the agenda of having government officials, celebrities, media personalities, and other high-profile users pay for their “legacy” blue ticks –  they would lose their free verification starting in April unless they agree to pay a subscription fee: either $84 annually or $8 a month.

Musk rolled out his new verification system , including Twitter Blue service, shortly after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late October. The latest system of getting verified allows any user to avail of the service for $8 per month and attain Twitter’s blue verified checkmark. This system was previously free to accounts of public interest. According to Business Insider , Musk called the old system of blue ticks “deeply corrupted” and said that he wants to establish equality on the social platform. Supporting this idea he tweeted, “It’s more about treating everyone equally. There shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities.”