Elon Musk has officially been at the helm of Twitter for a year. Since then, the multiple decisions made have radically changed the face of the social network. Between misinformation, paid subscriptions and transformed news, Tech&Co takes stock of what has become of the old microblogging platform preferred by Internet users.
- Paid certification
First promise fulfilled by Elon Musk after his arrival at the head of the social network: change the certification system. Without a doubt it is the most notable since it radically changed the face of the social network.
This development was the scene of numerous comings and goings, sowing confusion on the platform. First, Musk implemented paid certification, while allowing previously authenticated people to keep their blue badge. A decision that was highly criticized because it no longer allowed us to differentiate between paid accounts and accounts authenticated by the social network.
One important difference: accounts that benefit from paid certification are not subject to any identity verification, unlike accounts authenticated in the old management era.
Among the advantages granted to paying subscribers, there is one especially important one: promotion in the algorithm. It was at the end of April 2023 when Elon Musk announced, through a tweet, that “verified accounts now have priority.”
What are the consequences of this emphasis? At the end of October, the observation is clear: the company NewsGuard, which analyzes the spread of disinformation, stated that “74% of the most viral claims are false or unfounded and are related to the war between Israel and Hamas”, which is still today it continues. are made by X Premium subscribers. That is, Internet users who have acquired their blue badge to gain credibility and audience.
- Community Notes
Community Notes were one of the few welcome changes to the platform. These “Community Notes,” in French, allow (volunteer) contributors to add context to tweets that may be misleading or deceptive.
In the context of misinformation reinforced by the visibility of paid accounts, Community Notes are added below the tweets, as an appendix. Before publication, they must be approved by as many collaborators as possible.
In a blog post published on October 24, Twitter announced more than 100,000 contributors, from 44 different countries. However, its use remains partially criticized due to its exploitation by activists.
- The name change
It’s hard to miss: Twitter is no longer called Twitter, but X. The platform changed its name in early July 2023, according to Musk’s announcements. All Twitter-specific vocabulary gradually changed in the following days and weeks. A “retweet” is now called a “repost”, the Twitter Blue subscription is called X Premium. The site also changed its color from blue to black.
The blue bird, Twitter’s symbol since its creation, has also fallen. Both in a literal and figurative sense, since in addition to having removed it from the platform, Musk and his teams had also removed it from the facade of the headquarters in San Francisco, in a commotion that was not liked by the neighborhood. .
Influencer Compensation
Some paid accounts are now eligible for compensation if they meet certain criteria. In addition to paying for a subscription, you must also generate at least 5 million views per month on all your tweets for the last three months.
Specifically, bills are paid for visibility. A criterion that did not escape the most opportunists and that left the field open to tweets that divide opinions or create controversies with the simple objective of generating money.
The return of accounts banned for misinformation
In January 2023, several developers announced that more than 27,000 accounts previously banned due to misinformation, harassment, and hate speech had been reinstated on Twitter. This was precisely one of the promises of Musk, who has always defended “freedom of expression”, ignoring the rules of moderation, for which he no longer provides any means.
Some personalities have returned to the platform in recent months, starting with Donald Trump, who was no longer welcome on Twitter due to the false information he spread. The former president of the United States was expelled from the social network shortly after the assault on the Washington Capitol in January 2021. To allow him to return, Elon Musk proposed a survey to his subscribers, who voted in his favor with 51.8% .
Another controversial personality returning to Twitter, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, a Republican elected official known for her radical comments. She was banned in January 2022 for false comments about vaccination and the pandemic. She was able to return to the social network in November of the same year, shortly after its acquisition, like several stars of the French conspiracy.
Source: BFM TV
