Elon Musk has made a bold decision to only show tweets on the For You page from verified accounts on Twitter.
The shake-up in the way that information is consumed on Twitter has had a mixed reception from users, with many vocalizing concerns that the move will limit free speech while others have praised Musk for his efforts in combating misinformation and fake news.
Tackling Advanced Ai Bots On Twitter
Elon Musk announced the controversial change on his Twitter, and at the time of publishing, it already has over 195,000 likes, with that number increasing by the second.
In the tweet, he stated that the move was “the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.”
It’s no secret that Twitter is littered with fake bot accounts. This was central to the court case in which Elon Musk initially attempted to back out of the acquisition deal, stating that Twitter had misinformed him about the number of fake bot accounts the platform had.
For years, Twitter had said that bots make up around 5% or less of its monetizable daily active users (mDAU), but data analysis firm Cyabra, hired in 2022 to perform an independent bot analysis of Twitter for Musk, found that fake accounts made up 11% of all Twitter users. This seems to be the driving data behind the controversial decision to only show tweets from verified accounts on the For You page.
Twitter Users Left Questioning The Decision
Despite Musk saying his reason for the decision was based on reducing fake accounts, many users have been vocal about their concerns regarding the decision being more to do with politics and Elon Musk being able to push his own agenda on his platform, with one Twitter user stating:
“Just a reminder to everyone—Elon is a rightwing media mogul with massive conflicts of interests in various fields that require government oversight and regulation—who’s openly and not so openly—utilizing his giant personal social-media platform to serve his own political purposes”
A Need For Transparency
While Musk’s decision to only show tweets from verified profiles on the For You page has generated a lot of debate and controversy, it does seem he is attempting to address a pressing issue that is apparent on every social media platform.
The spread of fake news and misinformation, often leading from fake bot accounts, is a serious problem that can have real-world consequences. Social media platforms need to take steps to combat it. However, it is also important to balance this need for the accuracy of information with the principles of free speech and openness that underpin the internet.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether Musk’s decision will have a positive or negative impact on the Twitter community, but it is clear that it has sparked an important conversation and has users questioning who is benefiting from big changes such as this.
Are you happy with the change? Is it going to deter you from using the platform? Have your say in the comments.
